Tears of the Mind
by SparkyDapperDab19
Summary: Sometimes, we must do what is absolutely necessary to survive. Even things we aren't proud of. Jaune Arc had been taken against his will to a world he wished never existed and was forced to do things he wished he never had to do. Including taking lives in order to spare his. When he returns though, will he truly be all there? Or just a fragment of who he used to be?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! SparkyDapperDab19 here with a new story! I hope you all enjoy! Also I don't own RWBY or the Bioshock franchises. They all belong to their respected owners.**

Tears of the Mind

Chapter 1

The wayward knights return

 _"_ _Where did you get that sword boy?" The man said to the blonde knight while two police men restrained him. It was a pity because if he was a few seconds faster, the mustached prick would have eaten an aura infused fastball._

 _"_ _Don't you know that makes you the back-stabbing, snake in the grass False Shepherd?" the man told him as the crowd around the raffle began to gasp and murmur. "And we ain't letting no false shepherd into our flock!" the crowd cheered at this and the blonde noticed instantly how the attitude of the crowd changed from cheerful to bloodthirsty. The slow dread soon seeped in as the dozens of people all around the restrained boy became murderous._

 _"_ _SHOW HIM WHAT WE GOT PLANNED BOYS!" that was the last thing the blonde could hear as he looked in sudden horror at the rapidly rotating blades of the sky hook that was inching towards him. The sounds of the small gears rotating seemed to slow down until the hooks were only millimeters away._

"GAAAHH!" Jaune shot up from his bed and pulled out the pistol that he kept under his pillow, only to be aiming at the wall at the other end of the small motel room he was in. he let out a few more gasps of breath before realizing that it was just another dream. His wide eyes soon relaxed as he got up and sat off the side of the bed. He set the unusual looking pistol on the nightstand and let out another sigh before running his hands over his face and hair.

It had been a month since he got back. A month since he discovered some things that figuratively fried his mind and a month since he was left alone. His hands squeezed tight into fists as he remembered her for a split moment and instinctively going to the bottle of whiskey on the dresser. After pouring himself a glass and downing the drink he looked back to the gun. Another reminder of the place he had been, the hardships he endured, and lives he had took.

"What the hell am I doing?" Jaune muttered to himself as he got up from his bed and headed over to the window, looking out to see the broken moon illuminating the world of Remnant. "It's been a week since I came back to Vale. Why am I still in this damn motel room?" he looked back to the dresser and let out a sigh. He knew that answer but hated to admit it.

Admitting that he was afraid.

He could hardly believe it was only a month since he was abducted by two twins that had a thing for finishing each other's sentences. Before he knew it, said twins somehow warped him to a world that literally made him vomit from not just the flying city, but the sick ideals and twisted minds that inhabited it. During his time in there, he fought, he killed, and in a way, he died. But even after pushing through and surviving, after defying the laws of space and time by getting back to his world, why did he wait on going back to the ones he cared about? The ones that were probably in hysterics about him disappearing.

He went to his folded clothes at the foot of the bed and pulled from his black slacks a photo of him and his team. A photo that they took just a few days before his disappearance and his heart clenched a bit. He saw there smiles and then immediately clamped his eyes shut.

" _You honestly think they would take you back after worrying them for so long?"_ Jaune gave a slight growl to the annoyance that was residing in his head.

 _"_ _They're my friends. I know they would."_

 _"_ _No, you HOPE they will. You have no clue how they feel about this and let's be honest, at this rate you never will know."_ Jaune remained silent when the festering voice pointed this out. " _I mean, SHE just flat out left you. You really think that they wo-"_

"I KNOW DAMMIT!" Jaune shouted while he grasped his head. "I know that happened alright?! Can we just move on from that?! Besides! She isn't them! She was never them!" silence was the only response for the blonde as he sat back down on the bed with photo still in hand. He didn't need the photo to see their smiles. He knew he didn't. He also knew deep down that what the voice said was wrong. He knew they would be happy to see him. After all, they were his friends.

He looked at the scroll charging next to the pistol and opened it. At first when he got back to Remnant, he was surprised to see his scroll was still operational and it had shown that it had been exactly a month since he left despite his travel to different realities. He saw that all of his contacts were still logged into his scroll and smiled at all the faces that he knew.

"Tomorrow." He muttered and set the scroll back on the dresser. "I go back tomorrow." He was about to lay back down until a sudden realization hit him. He had said the exact same words the night before. Every night for the past week he would say "Tomorrow." But instead, go out to the outer parts of the city and either get wasted or find food. Every damn day he would put the people that actually gave a damn about him on the backburner and it was at that moment, when he felt his head on the pillow, his synapses assaulted the rest of his mind with a painful jolt. Practically screaming at him to stop this.

"FuuuUUUUCK!" he said as his voice rose. He couldn't tell if it was a new-found adrenaline kicking in, or just anger at himself, but he threw his legs over the side of his bed and grabbed his clothes. During his time in Columbia, Jaune had to lose his beloved hoodie and had to settle with clothes from that time and place. He put on his black slacks while fastening his navy-blue button down shirt. After putting on his vest, he wrapped the red sash around his neck and headed towards the front door. He was turning the knob when he realized the dark bandage that he had from the knife wound was still wrapped comfortably around his hand. He starred at it for a few moments, relishing in the sudden burst of memories in Columbia. It was hell on earth, but those few tender moments though. those moments when he was alone with her.

"God dammit." he muttered as he undid the bandage. The scar was a few inches long but stood out nonetheless. He traced the scar on the inside of his hand with his thumb and grimaced a bit. Gritting his teeth, he pocketed the dark cloth and turned the knob, heading out into the night. The prominent lights of Beacon Academy shined in the distance and after recollecting his thoughts, he took his first true step towards his once home.

#

It truly was quite a start of a new day for Jaune as he was vomiting up a hurricane in one of the bullhead's trashcans. Some people were actually becoming uncomfortable due to the sheer amount and ungodly noises that were emitting from the blonde.

'For Oum's sake I fought radical activists on SKY LINES for crying out loud! Why is it that the minute I get on a bullhead I'm back to "Vomit Boy" again?!' Jaune mentally screamed as he was about to go another round with the trashcan.

"Attention passengers, we will be arriving at Beacon Academy shortly. Please hold onto nearby rails or take a seat for your safety." the intercom blared through the speaker. Jaune simply grumbled as he held the trashcan tightly while the ship landed at Beacon docks. As soon as the doors opened, Jaune bolted out of the flying death trap and began kissing the ground in a somewhat animated fashion.

"Oh, sweet merciful ground! I know I left you behind for a flying city but I regret it so! Please take me back!" he exclaimed while others were looking in awe and confusion. After everyone disembarked and the blonde was left alone, Jaune quickly composed himself as he looked up to see the familiar courtyard that was a few meters away. He looked around to see not much has changed since he had left, except that the heat was a little more intense than he remembered. He let out a small chuckle though as he got up and headed for the entrance.

As Jaune entered the school, he began to wander through the colossal halls and simply marveled at how it had only been a short time but yet felt like years to him. As he continued on though he noticed that the halls were empty of any students or staff.

"Class is probably in session at the moment." He muttered to himself. One of the first things he wanted to do when he arrived was assure his friends that he was alright. That he was alive and not going anywhere else. Unfortunately, he knew well that if he even took a step into one of his classes, that pandemonium from his old team and friends would ensue. Keeping in mind the wellbeing of the teachers, he decided on another destination. Despite his urge to make his friends happy, he had to speak with someone else first.

#

Headmaster Ozpin was sitting at his desk, looking over the transcripts of the new studenets that would be enrolling in the next few months all while sipping from his signature mug. He flipped through the pages of one of the students and tossed it aside into the rejection bin along with almost hundreds of others. He mentally sighed at the new addition to the almost towering pile. Not knowing why any of them thought that they could actually get by him with the falsifications that they had on their transcripts. He had taught and watched over this school for many years and he could not understand the idiocy of those that thought they could slip through the cracks.

This thought however, brought him a sour look as he remembered a certain individual that used the exact methods to become a part of his school. The only exception in his perspective. He set down the file he was about to divulge into and looked to the far-left side of his desk. A simple flyer with the word "Missing." In bold print, followed by the picture of Jaune Arc. He closed his eyes and mentally sighed at how things have been since his disappearance. Needless to say, the leader's team was not in the best of moods, neither were the ones that he truly impacted.

The headmaster was snapped out of his thoughts though as the vibrations from his scroll began to go off at the other side of his desk. He shook his head gently, composing himself as he reached for his scroll. He opened it and saw that it was an incoming call from the receptionist at the bottom floor of the tower.

"Yes?" he asked politely as he answered the call.

"Sir, there is this strange young man claiming that he is a student here and trying to talk to you. He seems as if he isn't around here so I wanted to clarify with you." Ozpin nodded his head at this. Goodwitch was in the middle of teaching combat class so his receptionist was the only staff assisting him at the moment. He also understood his skepticism but it didn't stop him from pinching the bridge of his nose due to the amount of unsureness in her voice.

"It's quite alright. Send him up." He said with sincerity before hanging up. He brushed aside some of the clutter on his desk and waited patiently for the elevator doors to open on the other side of the room. However, his cane was in arms reach if in case the person in question had the intent in harming him.

The doors soon opened and at that moment, Ozpin's eyes widened slightly at the figure that walked out of the elevator. He had definitely changed since the last time he saw him. His new attire was testament to that. Although despite the new attire and the unusual pistol holstered at his side, his distinguishing blonde hair and blue eyes had stayed the same, along with the familiar sword that was sheathed at his waist. The headmaster stared intently at the boy that was now scratching the back of his head.

"Hello Mr. Arc. It has been a while." Ozpin started and smirked a bit at the sudden jolt of surprise coming from Jaune.

"So, it has Professor Ozpin." Jaune replied. This response caused the headmaster to lean forward a bit.

"So, would you care to tell me why you have been missing for this past month?" Ozpin asked sincerely once more and this, to his confusion, caused the boy to chuckle.

"Where do I even start?"

 **And that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter and expect more sometime in the near future. However, I want you all to keep in mind that Reaping with Sorrow is top priority in my list of fanfics that I am writing. So, expect this one to take a little longer to update. So yea, Jaune just got back from Columbia. I wonder how this will go. In the meantime, drop a comment or review and as always, BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well damn. Took a while but I got a second chapter out. You know the drill. I don't own RWBY or Bioshock. They are owned by the late Monty Oum, Rooster Teeth, 2k, and Irrational games. Enjoy everyone.**

Chapter two

The Wayward Knight's Test

"So, Mr. Arc, just to summarize this story that you have told me," Ozpin started while the blonde sitting in front of him nodded. "More than a month ago, you were taken against your will by two peculiar twins." another nod. "Forced into an unknown place only known as Columbia." another nod. "And was forced to fight through hordes of extremists on both sides of the ethical scale so that you could make it back home?" Jaune simply nodded while scratching the back of his head.

"That about sums it up." Jaune replied, only for the headmaster to narrow his eyes slightly. Jaune knew the headmaster was aware that he had left some things out. Some of those things included killing dozens or even hundreds of people, ingesting gene-altering vigors, and transporting through space and time. Fortunately, Jaune knew that Ozpin wasn't one to press on about such things.

"From what I can see, I assume that you made it back in one peace." Ozpin stated while gesturing to him. Jaune gave him a determined nod, but then grew confused at the solemn look that Ozpin was giving him. "Mr. Arc, during your time gone, Beacon Academy, along with the city of Vale have been searching for you. In doing so they did discover your falsifications into my school." It was at these words that Jaune's heart sank. His blood chilled throughout all of his body as his eyes remained wide while looking at the headmaster. "Thankfully I have pulled some strings amongst the council to make sure you didn't face any legal troubles if you returned." Jaune's shoulders relaxed upon hearing this, but his eyes remained focused on Ozpin while the headmaster still retained his solemnness. "The reason that I am telling you this is-"

"That I'm not welcomed back here." Jaune finished with a shaky voice. A silence hung over the two. Ozpin could see that Jaune was processing this information. He couldn't believe this. He had murdered countless in order to survive, fought off the most unorthodox machines, for Oum's sake he fought a fucking GHOST and that still didn't make the top list of things he had defeated. Jaune looked up at the headmaster that had an understanding expression while nodding. Jaune's fists tightened as his anger rose, unknown that the fire building in him was also in literal terms. He noticed this as he felt the heat emit from his hands and quickly put out the flickering flames. He looked up once more and before he could stand, Ozpin's expression morphed from understanding to slight confusion at the small but noticeable change that the blonde showed.

"There is however a way to be a part of my school once more." Ozpin said which seemed to peak Jaune's interest. "Prove that you belong here and I will have you re-enrolled." Skepticism was apparent as Jaune heard this. He folded his arms and leaned back a bit.

"Just because you let me back, doesn't mean that my team will. Or any of the students. You just said that they know about my means of getting into this place." Ozpin nodded after he said this and took out his scroll. Jaune was confused by this as Ozpin prepared a video. He set his scroll down on his desk and a hologram appeared in front of the blonde. The headmaster pressed the play and Jaune was immediately taken aback at what he was seeing.

 **"** **Pyrrha it's time to head back."** the familiar voice of the stoic ninja of his team Lie Ren, said to Pyrrha Nikos who was pacing frantically. From what Jaune could see, they were somewhere in the city of Vale.

 **"** **You heard what that woman said!"** Pyrrha exclaimed with a level of irritation and desperation that Jaune never knew she was capable of attaining. **"** **Her store was being robbed when a blonde with a sword and shield saved her!"** Jaune's eyes widened a bit at this. That was when he first got back to remnant and decided to drink away his sorrows. Some prick thought threatening strangers in a joint known for serving huntsmen was a good idea and Jaune was there to stop it. Thankfully with just Crocea Mors.

 **"** **Pyrrha, they're a lot of blondes in Vale."** Ren said, attempting to calm down the champion. **"** **I know you miss him, but we need to head back. It's getting dark and curfew is almost in effect."** Jaune's heart twisted as he saw the anger in his partner's eyes.

 **"** **To hell with the curfew!"** Pyrrha screamed which truly made Jaune go wide eyed. **"** **It has been a whole month since we got a lead! I AM NOT LEAVING UNTIL I FIND HIM!"** Jaune watched his partner scream at the rest of his team and he saw that before Ren could reply, Nora wrapped her in a sudden hug. He saw that Pyrrha was struggling to break free of Nora's grasp at first but soon stopped.

 **"** **We miss him too Pyrrha."** Jaune heard Nora say in a tone he had never heard before. A tone that was soft and loving, as if a mother was reassuring her child that everything would be alright. It was then that he saw that his partner was breaking down and Nora continued to console her.

"That was two days ago." Ozpin told Jaune as the video suddenly ended and the headmaster closed his scroll. "As you can see, your team still cares deeply for you. Rendering your previous statement mute." Jaune chuckled softly at Ozpin's remark and nodded slowly. Ozpin saw that Jaune's hands balled back up into fists. Determination was back in his sapphire eyes and Ozpin smirked a bit.

"When do we start?"

#

"And that is the match." Glynda Goodwitch announced as the lights turned back on in the arena. The students cheered for the redhead champion as she wiped the floor with all the members of team CRDL.

"Got lucky." Cardin growled as he was now face down on the floor. Pyrrha shrugged off his snide remark and nodded at the professor who was grading her performance on her scroll.

"It appears that we have time for one more match. Are there any volunteers? The combat professor eyed the crowd and noticed that one of the transfer students wasn't caring for the class he was attending.

"Mr. Black, it seems that you don't have anything else better to do. please come down to the arena as soon as possible." Goodwitch could feel the irritation radiating off of the boy and simply ignored his silent protests. "Is there anyone you would like to fight in particular?" Mercury stood there in thought for a few seconds.

"You." He said as he pointed to Pyrrha who was currently about to exit the arena.

"Mr. Black, considering your lack of attention in my class, I'm not surprised you didn't just see Ms. Nikos partake in a fight." Goodwitch was about to go on, but was stopped by Pyrrha.

"No. It's quite alright. I can go another match." She said with a smile on her face.

"I commemorate you on your enthusiasm Ms. Nikos," Goodwitch and Pyrrha both turned around to see that professor Ozpin was standing before them while sipping his coffee. "But I have already assigned you a sparring partner for today." The two women looked confused at this statement along with Mercury.

"And who would that be?" Goodwitch questioned her boss who in return, only smirked just enough to annoy the combat professor. He walked ahead of the two and looked out into the crowd of students.

"Everyone, if I may have your attention please." The headmaster started. All eyes were on him now and he gave them all a reassuring smile. "The next match won't simply be a sparring session. It will also be a test." Ozpin mentally chuckled at the confusion that was apparent on the champion. "The student who will be fighting Ms. Nikos here will be tested to re-enroll into Beacon. If he passes this test, then he will be able to rightfully be a part of Beacon once more." The students nodded at this and Ozpin looked to the side of the room where the changing areas were. "You can come out now." It was then the whole room went silent.

His signature sword clinking with the metal along his belt was the only noise being made as he made his way to the arena. The crowd was now staring intently at the familiar blonde who had a serious wardrobe change and it somewhat made him shrink. He looked around the crowd to see any familiar faces and sure enough, he saw his old teammates who were staring back with a combination of shock and excitement on Nora's part. He slightly nodded at them and scanned around some more to see an equal amount of shock on his sister team. Team RWBY were staring at him wide eyed and he chuckled to see that Ruby was so close to jumping out of her seat. After nodding to them as well, he turned his attention to the arena and let out a breath of reassurance. He walked up to the headmaster who simply smiled at his and then turned to Goodwitch who was no better than how the rest of the audience was. He let out a short laugh at her speechless state before composing himself.

"Jaune?" he heard to his left and as he turned, he became face to face with his partner. Her hands were covering her mouth now as he looked back at her. To her confusion however, he simply ignored her plea and brought his attention to the headmaster.

"So, all I have to do is win to pass?" Jaune said flatly at the headmaster, who in return turned to him.

"That will be decided after the match." Ozpin said this with a hidden edge only known to Jaune. The blonde knight internally sighed at this and nodded back. He then headed to his starting area, leaving an almost shell-shocked Pyrrha to process what was happening.

"Ms. Nikos," she was snapped out of her dazed state by Goodwitch who was looking at her with concern. "I know this is somewhat shocking, but I am going to have to ask you to get ready." She looked at the combat professor and then to the headmaster who only nodded at her. She then looked across the arena to see her partner staring at her. His hand was grasping the hilt of his sword and his stance showed that he was prepared to battle. She reluctantly drew her weapons and readied herself as well, all while dawning a somewhat distraught look.

"Are both combatants ready?" Ozpin was the one to announce this as he and Goodwitch were now standing off to the side. Jaune nodded and looked at Pyrrha coldly. "Then you may begin." With this said, Jaune bolted from his position and charged right at Pyrrha. Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors, but didn't fold out the shield while swinging his sword overhead. The champion blocked the strike with Akuko at the last moment and stumbled back. This didn't stop Jaune however as he continued his barrage of two handed sword strikes. Unlike the numerous times she had dealt with her partner using this style, she was having a hard time adapting to his attacks that were fast, fierce, and aimed at any vital points on her body. She finally got a sturdy footing and used the momentum of his next strike to throw him over her shoulder while using her semblance to send him across the arena. She saw him tumble and recover, all while keeping a flat look on his face.

"Jaune," She called out, trying to get any emotion from her partner. "What happened to you? Where were you?" her questions landed on deaf ears however as he once more as he said nothing. This time though he drew the unusual firearm strapped to his side and fired rapidly at her. She brought up her shield instantly and blocked the bullets. One thing that confused Pyrrha though was that the impact of each round felt heavier than normal dust rounds. This caused her to back up a bit, followed by a backflip to avoid the rest of the bullets. She threw her shield at him with full force, only for him to roll out of the way and once more, drew Crocea Mors. Pyrrha shifted Milo into its rifle form and opened fire on him. He darted in a serpentine motion to avoid the dust rounds while continuing his charge towards her. As he got in distance of her, he swung his sword at her side and before she could change Milo back into a sword, he feinted his strike and he used his left fist to slam into Pyrrha's face. She stumbled once more and this time tumbled back due to the sudden force. She was confused once more due to never feeling that amount of force into one of his attacks.

He could see the anger brewing within his partner as she was getting up. He looked up at the monitor above them and saw that both of their auras were in the yellow. Apparently, her semblance combined throw did more damage than he thought and his fists tightened at this.

"Jaune! Can you just talk to me?!" Pyrrha shrieked. Jaune stared at her for a few moments before holstering both of his weapons. Relief took over the champion for a moment until she saw her partner smirk and lean forward a bit and gesture to his cheek.

As he did this, something inside Pyrrha broke off. Here she was, worried sick for an entire month for the one in front of her. All of those sleepless nights looking for him. The amount of times she nearly gave up on him. Every night consisting of convincing herself to believe she would see him again. So much strife in the span of little more than a month and this is what she gets? The one that she cared for coming back only to antagonize and taunt her?

Jaune could see her aura illuminating around her and noticed that her hands weapons were slightly warping, all while laced in dark aura. He looked back into his partner's eyes and saw one thing.

Unadulterated fury.

In a split second, she was right in front of him and he felt her knee slam into his stomach. He gasped for air as the wind was knocked out of him and before he could recover, he felt her shield bash into his face. Jaune was sent soaring across the arena once more and tumbled multiple times before stopping. He coughed a bit and struggled to get back on his feet. He reached for his weapons but felt them be ripped from his person. The same dark aura was back and Jaune looked up to see that Pyrrha was using her semblance to hold his weapons. She flung her arms outwards and his weapons fell out of bounds. Fear crept up Jaune's spine as Pyrrha was slowly making her way to him. Despite her terrifying persona, he took a breath and readied himself in a basic boxing stance. He saw a hint of twisted amusement in her eyes and he responded by gritted his teeth. The amusement however morphed back into fury and she charged once more.

Jaune braced himself for the oncoming attacks by holding his hands out in front of him and in this moment, he saw the scar decorating his right hand which sent him in a trance.

 ** _"_** ** _Hey can we hurry it up? In a bit of a rush."_** _An agitated Jaune Arc said to the man at the teller station. His right hand was resting on the counter while he and his plus one were waiting for the man to get off the phone._

 ** _"_** ** _I'll ring you back once the matter's in hand."_** _Jaune heard the man mutter and eye him slightly, causing the blonde to be confused._

 ** _"_** ** _Excuse me sir, can we get some help?"_** _Jaune asked a little more politely. Unknown to him however, the teller reached for something under his desk._

 ** _"_** ** _Certainly sir. Sorry for the WAIT_** _!" the man maliciously yelled as a knife came down on Jaune's hand, due to the sudden action and the previous fight before, his aura wasn't able to hold off the knife and it drove into his hand. Following with him screaming at the searing pain._

"RAAAAAAHHH!" this roar snapped him out of his train of thought and his flashback shattered to reveal an enraged Pyrrha now a few feet away from him. Milo was inches from impaling his hand in the same spot his scar was and his eyes widened at this. In those moments, Jaune's survival instincts set into overdrive and he grabbed Pyrrha's wrist. He pulled her towards him with inhuman strength and slammed his elbow into her face. She was dazed for only a moment, but that's all Jaune needed. He followed up with a few straight punches to Pyrrha's face and landed one last punch to Pyrrha's stomach. He noticed her trying to retaliate, but the results were fruitless strikes as he kept the pressure up.

Pyrrha let out a struggled cry as she tried to slam the edge of Akuko into Jaune's temple, only for him to duck and send a left hook into her face. She felt the aura infused into that last punch and fell to the arena floor. Her muscles writhed and ached as she struggled to get up. She had never seen such ferocity in anyone let alone Jaune. She was on her back now and as she was about to get up, she felt a foot stomp down on her chest. She gagged at the sudden lack of oxygen and saw that Jaune's foot was still firmly planted on top of her. The champion looked up to see that his expression was the coldest one she had ever seen. His eyes were static but practically breathed fire and small cracks of fury were seen in his flat grimace. She was about to question this until she saw his foot being raised above her head. Pyrrha's eyes widened as his foot came racing down.

Before Jaune's foot could make contact, the lights to the arena flashed on and a purple outline surrounded Jaune's shoe.

"That is the match Mr. Arc." Goodwitch said with a stern tone. Apparently, she was not happy for some reason despite how intense the match was. Jaune seemed to snap out of the feral trance he was in and looked around his surroundings, only for his eyes to widen when he saw Pyrrha beneath him, bloody and bruised from the fight.

"Pyrrha, are you okay?" Jaune said with genuine worry. Confusion overtook the Spartan along with frustration. She was about to go off on him, but was interrupted by the headmaster.

"Ms. Nikos, that was Mr. Arc's test." Pyrrha and Jaune's confusion grew as he said this and he gave them a gentle grin. "You see, Mr. Arc here just arrived today and I informed him about your current state of distress." At this point he was practically announcing this to the rest of the audience who just witnessed that brutal fight. "His test was to overcome the strongest combatant in this class, or at least show some improvement. That being said, the highest ranked student is also a person who cares deeply for him and would hold back to help him while in reality, it would only hinder both his and your progress at becoming huntsmen and huntresses." Realization was dawning on Pyrrha at this moment and she looked at Jaune who sheepishly scratched at the back of his head. "So, due to this factor, I altered the test. His goal was to make you give it your all, through any means necessary." Her eyes widened at this last part and she then saw Jaune offering her a hand to help her up.

"Sorry about that Pyrrha." Jaune said with some shame. She grasped his hand and got onto her feet. She took a look at his slightly bruised form and to mostly his surprise, wrapped him in a tight hug. Jaune could feel her shoulders buckle while soft sobbing could be heard. His response to this was to reciprocate the hug and the two stood there for a few moments, cherishing this true reunion.

The subtle cough from the headmaster caused the two to snap back to attention and Jaune was now face to face with both Glynda Goodwitch and Ozpin.

"I hate to be the one to interrupt such a tender moment, but I think Mr. Arc here deserves to hear the results of his test." Jaune's heart tightened at what the headmaster said. "Mr. Arc, despite your… brutal methods," Jaune winced a bit at this. "you accomplished your requirement, defeated your opponent, and showed massive improvement. From what I saw, I would say that we have a true huntsman in training in our midst. Congratulations young man." Jaune once more dawned a sheepish look from the praise he received. He looked over to his partner who was elated to hear the good news and flashed her a smile. "You will once more be assigned to team JNPR as their leader. You will be happy to discover that none of your belongings have been removed. You can thank your partner's conviction for that." Jaune noticed that Pyrrha blushed at this but he shrugged it off. "With that said," Ozpin was now addressing the rest of the students who were processing the news. "Class is dismissed. I hope you all have a good day." Ozpin gave Jaune one more nod before he and his partner walked off the stage and up to the exit. While this was happening, Glynda Goodwitch walked up to her boss with a somewhat worried look.

"Inform the other professors to keep an eye on Mr. Arc." Ozpin muttered to his subordinate who had a look of understanding.

"You saw it as well?" Glynda asked and Ozpin nodded.

"I did. He wasn't going to stop at that last attack. He showed nothing but a murderous intent in those last moments." Ozpin said this while he and Glynda were looking at the blonde in question exiting the room.

"Did he tell you where he was all this time?" Glynda asked and Ozpin looked at her reassuringly.

"He did. Apparently, he was taken to a place where no one should go. Columbia, he called it." This earned a puzzled look from Goodwitch.

"Do you believe him?" Ozpin took a sip from his mug and stood there in silence for a moment.

"Yes. However, he is hiding some things. I saw it when he came to my office, and if this fight was any indication, I would say the place where he was held was a "killed or be killed" environment." Glynda was about to say something before Ozpin put a hand on her shoulder. "In the meantime, we will let him be. The boy must have gone through a lot and now he needs to be with his friends." Glynda nodded at this as she and the headmaster exited the classroom.

#

"YOUR BACK!" Jaune heard the combination of Ruby and Nora shout as they glomped him in the hallway. He let out a surprised cry as the two tackled him and was followed by laughter from the three.

"It's good to be back." Jaune replied as he got up off the ground. He noticed that Yang walked up next to her sister with her signature smirk being apparent.

"Gotta admit, I was almost missing you there. That is until you came back of course." Yang joked. Jaune simply smiled at this. "Also, I like the clothes. Never knew you were a vest kind of guy though." Jaune scratched the back of his head once more and Ren was the one who spoke up next.

"You know you have a lot of explaining to do Jaune." Jaune couldn't tell how he was saying this due to the neutrality in his voice. The others nodded at this and Jaune put his hands up in defense.

"I will. I promise. But could I at least get back to the dorm first. I kind of miss my hoodies." A groan could be heard amongst Ruby and Nora. "Say what you want, you cannot deny the comfort of the hoodie." Jaune said in a matter of fact tone. Before he turned to head for the dorm however, he saw the glare that Weiss Schnee was sending his way. This caused him to mentally sigh as he knew his return would cause this reaction out of her. He decided to ignore it for now and soon arrived at the team's dorm room.

"Home sweet home." Jaune said with relief as he opened the door while he and the others soon filed in. He hopped onto his bed and let out an overexaggerated sigh as he sunk into the mattress. Giggles could be heard from the others and he smiled at this.

"So, what's the schedule for the rest of the day?" he asked the group to which Ruby spoke up.

"Combat class was the last one for the week. So, it's the weekend now!" She exclaimed as she sat on one of the beds. Jaune's eyes widened a bit with excitement as he now bounced off his bed and headed to his closet.

"Sweet! I can finally relax." He said as he pulled out one of his hoodies with Pumpkin Pete on the front. "Oh, hoodie I have missed you." He said as he started to take off his vest and shirt.

"You wear nothing but your hoodie?" Blake asked questioningly and Jaune looked at her while cracking a grin.

"Only on lazy days. And after what I've been through? This is definitely called for." He removed his red sash around his neck and unbuttoned the rest of his shirt with his back to everyone. As he removed his shirt though, sharp gasps could be heard throughout the room. Jaune cocked his head in confusion and turned around to face them all. He saw their looks of shock and horror amplified as he now faced them. Ruby and Yang both had their hands over their mouths, Nora was now shaking, Ren, Blake and Weiss all looked at him wide eyed, and Pyrrha was now right in front of him with a frantic look of worry all over her. "Guys, what's going on?" Jaune asked with some caution, not understanding what they were staring at.

"Jaune," Pyrrha said with fear. "Where did you get those scars?"

 **Well. That was light hearted until the end. Hope you all liked it. Now I know this Jaune is a huge contrast from the Jaune you saw in chapter one. That's because this will be a somewhat slow descent into Jaune's mental issues. The cheerfulness will not last I can assure you all of that. But anyways, I also want to say sorry for not updating this as soon as I could. It was a tougher piece to work on than Reaping with Sorrow (by the way, if you like Overwatch/RWBY crossovers, check that out if you want and a new chapter for that is in the works. I'd say about 80% done.) Another reason to apologize is that I kinda lost the drive to write in general. My manuscripts I wrote for class were torn apart and that was a shitty reality check. Anyways, I bounced back, trying to improve my skills and try to make this story enjoyable for you all. I hope you all liked this. Drop a comment if you want and as always beauties and gentlebeauties, BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So I posted this last night and an internal error occurred. The chapter was posted but it claimed I updated it about a month ago. So to get rid of that error here it is. I do not own RWBY or Bioshock Infinite. Those belong to Rooster Teeth, the late Monty Oum, 2k, and irrational games. Enjoy!**

Chapter three

Old and New Wounds

Slashes decorated his upper body along with clumps of scar tissue, indicating that he had been shot multiple times. His arms were decorated with burns and other various scratches that permanently indented his skin. His back was decorated with burns and slashes as well. Jaune looked out onto the seven pairs of eyes gaping at the distorted deformities that decorated his body and saw worry and fear in them all.

Before Pyrrha could say or do anything, Jaune quickly put his hoodie on and headed for the door. He was close to leaving until the door slammed shut. He saw that Yang was keeping it closed, denying his one exit.

"Nuh uh." Yang said with an edge in her voice. "You said you would tell us what happened. Considering what we just saw, you better start explaining." Jaune stared back at the brawler. He wanted to push her aside. Oum knows he could if he wanted to, but as he was about to shove Yang, he noticed that all of her aggression was gone and concern took its place. He looked out once more to his friends and they all shared the same look. Jaune let out a shaky sigh and turned back to his bed. He sat down on the side of it and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Well I guess I should start with how all of this happened." Jaune started while trying to keep his attitude somewhat up beat. "As you all know, I sent a message to Pyrrha about over a month ago saying that I needed to take some time to think in Vale." Jaune saw that all of them nodded sans Weiss who was standing in one of the corners. "Well the reason being was that I heard Weiss talk about what Pyrrha did back in the Forever Fall." the others became confused at this and Pyrrha was now sitting next to him. He looked up at her with a somber expression. "How you used your semblance to help me with the Ursa." Her eyes widened at this and Jaune just nodded. "I heard Weiss discussing it with you and I didn't know what to think. I just needed to get out of the school. I headed out into Vale to think over my choices of coming to Beacon and that's when I ran into two people I wish I never met." Jaune shuddered as he remembered the Lutece twins that took him to Columbia. "The specifics aren't too important, but after a very confusing talk with them, they drugged me and kidnapped me." he heard gasps among the group and noticed that Pyrrha was one of them. "Let's just say that it wasn't a welcoming place. After a month of nothing but fighting, I made it home and here we are now." Jaune summarized quickly at the end. Despite trusting his team and friends, he did not want to show them the latent abilities he picked up during his time in Columbia.

"Your hiding something." All eyes were on Weiss who had finally acknowledged the missing blonde. Ruby wanted to object but the heiress quickly made her way to Jaune. Her arms were folded and her gaze was fierce. Jaune decided not to maintain eye contact with her.

"Well it wasn't pretty." Jaune said while scratching the back of his head. "There were some things I saw that I wish I could unsee." he looked up to see that Weiss was not pleased with his response.

"That's not what I meant. We all saw your fight with Pyrrha." this caused Jaune to shrink as confused eyes were all focused on him. "How is that a failure on all accounts. Someone who slid into this school with nothing but false truths, beats someone that had trained her whole life to be where she is now in the span of a month." Jaune's eyes narrowed in on the heiress who was standing above him.

"She was caught off guard. If she knew I was here and had to fight her, I would have easily lost." his glare failed to diminish Weiss's resolve as she pulled out her scroll. To their surprise, it was a video of the fight that they had all witnessed. The Video was taken around the end when Jaune wasn't letting up on the hand to hand combat. They all saw once more Pyrrha on the ground with Jaune's foot above her face and then the video stopped.

"From what that video shows, I see a bloodthirsty killer just trying to get his fix." Weiss said as she passed the scroll around. Everyone had mixed responses ranging from wide eyes to slight gasps. The scroll finally was passed to Jaune for him to see. His eyes widened as well as he looked at himself, seconds away from stomping on Pyrrha's head.

He was smiling.

The scroll was snatched from his hands and he looked to see Weiss glaring at him. "I'm not stupid Arc. You changed and you're hiding something from us." Jaune's hands balled into fists and before she could say anything else, Jaune shot up and headed for the door. He almost ripped the sturdy door off its hinges as he looked back.

"Thanks for the welcome back." he growled and slammed it shut. Ruby got up and followed suit while glaring at her partner. Weiss ignored her with a huff and before she or any of the others could react, a yelp was heard from Ruby. They all looked to see the young leader holding her hand that had a burn mark. They turned to the bronze knob that was now bright red with small heat waves illuminating from it.

"The hell?" Yang asked as the heat was decreasing. Everyone was confused by this for only a few moments.

"That was uncalled for Weiss." Everyone looked with surprise at Blake, who was the one to break the silence. The Faunus stood up and headed for the door. "Whether his intentions were lethal or not, you can't say that he didn't go through hell. We all saw it on him. No one recovers easily from any sort of trauma." She stopped to face her team, resting a thumb under her chin, indicating that she was in deep thought. "Considering the amount of…damage that was done to him in the span of a month, we can assume that he's still hurting. And your little stunt only worsened the damage." She saw Weiss's eye twitch at this remark.

"I just don't see why Ozpin would let him be back here. He clearly wasn't fit to be a huntsmen to begin wi-" her statement was cut off when they all heard a loud slam. Everyone turned to see Pyrrha who's fist was buried into the wall and was wearing the same angry expression that she had when she fought Jaune.

"That is ENOUGH Weiss." The champion spat. "We know what Jaune did to get into Beacon, and I don't care." Weiss remained wide eyed as the champion got up from the bed and was walking toward the heiress. "My partner is back and the first thing we do is make him unwelcomed and angry. For once can we just be happy that Jaune is back in our lives?!" she almost screeched at that last part. The only reason that Pyrrha didn't was because of Ren who was now separating the two. Pyrrha was about to lash out once more, but not before the ninja put his hand up to silence her.

"We are happy Pyrrha." Ren said in a calm manner. His neutral expression was aimed at her all while she tried to calm down from her outburst. A few moments past with the room once again being shrouded in silence. Ren then headed for the door and soon opened it. "I'm going to find him." He put his hand out to Nora who was about to follow. The bomber gave him a questioning look and he shook his head. Nora stepped back, a little downtrodden but still giving him a reassuring smile. Ren smirked at her for a second before leaving to find his friend.

 **With Jaune**

Jaune stood at the front of the massive statue that centered the courtyard of Beacon, eyeing the champion valiantly raising his sword in victory. Jaune gritted his teeth for a moment and he felt the heat begin to rise in his hands. He was careless. He let his guard down and because of that, he was cornered into retelling the reason why he went missing. The last thing he wanted was to remember that hell-hole.

 _"_ _Oh, man the Ice Queen lived up to her name back there."_ Jaune flinched as he heard that familiar echo in his head.

"Shut up." He muttered which only caused the voice to chuckle.

 _"_ _For being right? Nuh uh buddy. We knew once they found out where we went, they would leave us. And your little outburst during the match didn't help."_ Jaune's hands squeezed tighter as he said this.

"It was an accident. It brought back times I don't' want to remember." Jaune replied.

 _"_ _Of course, you don't want to remember. The killing, the pain, an most of all, Eliz-"_

"FUCK. OFF!" Jaune screamed and now his hands were completely on fire. Embers were now dripping from his fingertips as he seethed below the statue. "It doesn't matter how we-I felt. She's gone and there's nothing to stop that. All I can do now is move forward and start living a normal life." The laughing that was occurring in his head now had a sinister tone.

 _"_ _Jaune, you forget one thing. You will NEVER return back to normal. Mark my words."_ A chill went down Jaune's back as he felt the voice disappear and his head didn't feel so clouded.

"CAW!" Jaune's eyes widened and he jumped a bit at the sudden noise. the blonde saw a crow now resting on the top of the statue, slightly eyeing him. Jaune patted his hands and calmed down a bit, causing the flames to cease.

"Scared me there for a second." Jaune joked. He put his hand on his hips and continued to stare at the statue in front of him. In his case, the statue was a symbol of everything he wasn't and will never be. He wasn't a hero that extinguished evil and fought for all that was right, he was just a killer. Someone who went to the extremes in the name of survival. "Kinda all alone right now. Just like you." He muttered as he looked back at the crow who simply cocked his head. Jaune chuckled at this. "How about I give you a friend." Before the crow could react, Jaune's hand became elongated and his fingernails grew to a disgusting length. In what felt like a millisecond, a small raven appeared from his hand. Blood decorated its dark feathers and it was holding a bit of tendon in its beak. Jaune only chuckled at the sight and let the raven go up to the crow. It didn't take long for the crow to flee after Jaunes little stunt. The raven flew back to Jaune and gave him a puzzled look. "I know. Doesn't feel too good to be not wanted." Jaune sighed at this and extinguished the raven, reverting his hand back to normal.

"That was uncalled for." Jaune quickly perked up at this. His eyes were wide with fear of being caught. He turned around to see Ren was standing in front of him with his hands folded behind his back. Ren let out a small sigh before stepping forward. "What Weiss said I mean." Jaune internally sighed with relief, now knowing that Ren wasn't calling him out on his vigors.

"Can't really blame her though. I mean you all know how I got here." Jaune replied. There was a brief pause from Ren.

"We do know." Ren said as he let out a sigh. "To be honest I was mad. Angry even, to think I was putting my and more importantly Nora's life, in the hands of someone who lied their way into Beacon." Jaune winced at that jab Ren took but continued to look on at his teammate. "If it wasn't for Nora, I would still be thinking that way." Jaune looked confused for a bit before Ren ran a hand through his hair, thinking of what he was going to say next. "She threatened to leave Beacon without me if I kept siding with the ones insulting you. She said if you didn't belong here, then we would have died when we fought the death stalker, or be ambushed by rapier wasps in the Forever Fall. She said that you didn't need transcripts to be here because you proved that you care more than any other leader here." Jaune went wide eyed at what he had just heard. He made a mental note to talk to Nora sometime soon to thank her.

"Despite that, why did they send you?" Jaune asked with a sense of doubt. Even though they are friends, Jaune knew that Ren was most likely sent to find him. Jaune became confused when he saw Ren shake his head.

"Who said anything about being sent to find you." for some reason, Jaune didn't buy that answer.

"Look Ren, if the others put you up to this," Jaune couldn't continue due to his teammate raisning his hand to silence him.

"We lost you Jaune." Ren started as he starred at him directly in the eye. "Our team was in shambles when you were taken. And considering what we all saw not too long ago, you've been through a lot." Jaune scoffed a bit at this.

"A lot is an understatement Ren." Jaune said as he folded his arms.

"Then tell us why." Ren replied instantly. "I won't force you like Yang or harass you like Weiss, but if there is going to be any trust in our team, we need to know what you've been through so we can help you." Ren reciprocated Jaune's gesture by folding his arms as well while Jaune sighed.

"Ren, It's not that easy. It's not that it's too traumatizing, it's that if I tell you, I don't think you or anyone will belie-" Jaune was cut off by the slow clapping coming from behind him. The two teammates turned to the source and saw an upperclassman with two others coming up to them.

"So zis is the infamous Jaune Arc." the center one said. From what Jaune could see, If the snob look he gave him didn't give it away, it was the robes he was wearing that indicated he was from some sort of nobility. "I was wondering when I would find that annoying thorn in my side." Jaune gave a questioning look at Ren.

"Ren, a little context please?" Jaune asked. He looked at Ren who was forming an annoyed expression at the man in front of them.

"Jaune, this is Louis Augustus. A transfer student that came during your absence. An aristocrat from Mistral." Ren growled. Jaune understood the frustration in his teammates voice due to their lack of weapons.

"Sixteen generations of nobility run through my veins to be exact." Louis boasted to the two of them. The only reply was an eyeroll from Jaune. "Tch. Such rudeness from the partner of my soon to be beloved." This caused Jaune to cock an eyebrow at his proclamation as he looked to Ren for answers.

"He's been trying to be with Pyrrha due to her status. With you gone she wanted nothing to do with anyone let alone him." Ren said and Jaune's eyes narrowed on Louis, who looked annoyed at the blonde's presence.

"Honestly I have no idea why she cares so much for such a disgrace." Louis walked forward with a disgusting grin on her face. "She needs to know the touch of a noble." Jaune's hands balled up into fists. "You just drag her name down." Ren was about to interject but was stopped by Jaune.

"That's not for you to decide." Jaune said flatly. The other two that came with Louis chuckled at this and Louis shook his head.

"See, where my beloved and I come from, she doesn't have a say in the matter. Despite her achievements, I still hold a greater political power. I am a merciful man so I haven't used more traditional methods, yet." Jaune's gritted his teeth when he heard this.

"Well too bad that we aren't in Mistral." Jaune growled, earning an annoyed expression from Louis. "I don't care what you say, I can assure you that Pyrrha wants nothing to do with rich boys like you." He noticed that the two behind Louis were now wielding their weapons while their leader chuckled.

"Well it will be a pity when she finds out that her partner left a second time." Louis took a step back while the subordinates advanced. One with a sword and another with what looked like a meca-shifting billy club. "Show him what we got planned boys." Jaune's pupils dilated and his body froze. He looked at them and realized he didn't see the somewhat cloudy day at Beacon Academy. Instead, he saw the clear day of the Columbia Raffle. Louis somehow morphed into that bastard Fink and the two in front of him were now brandishing their skyhooks. Jaune's breathing hitched for a second as time slowed down, just like it did before. The hook was millimeters away from gouging his flesh but before he could do anything, the skyhook, along with his hallucination, was ripped from his reality and he was back at Beacon. Jaune came back to his senses and saw that both lackeys were on the ground. Bruised, but not bleeding.

"Not even a day back and causing trouble already? Jeez Jauney boy." Jaune looked up to see Cardin brandishing his mace. The only person left now was Louis who looked like he was about to piss himself. "I hope you can listen with that silver spoon up your ass you snobby prick." Cardin said while pointing his mace at him. "I may hate a lot of things, but rich entitled bastards are at the top of that list. I suggest you and your bitches get out of here before things get ugly." It didn't even take them two seconds to high tail it out of there. Jaune was about to say something before receiving a left hook from Cardin. "What the hell was that shit?" Cardin barely yelled.

"Wha-" Jaune was still trying to get his bearings together and Cardin now grabbed him by the front of his hoodie.

"The Jaune I know wouldn't freeze like that." Cardin growled. "I thought I could respect someone who would rush in to help someone, no matter the cost and now I see that I was wrong. Your still just Jauney boy." Cardin spat at his shoes and turned around without another word, leaving a dazed Jaune and shocked Ren.

 **With Ozpin**

The headmaster was going through a few more records and paperwork that needed his attention while sipping some of his coffee. Today had been quite the experience, seeing a lost student and discovering that things may not be all what they seem. He still pondered what could have happened to the boy.

His thoughts were cut short due to the familiar cawing that came from the window behind him. Ozpin sighed with a mix of frustration and relief as he opened the small pane, allowing the crow to enter. It shifted in an instant and formed into the slim cape wearing huntsmen Qrow Branwen who seemed to be a little out of breath.

"Qrow." Ozpin said flatly. "I take it you have some news on Jaune?" Qrow undid his flask and downed the whole thing in one swig. Not frantically, but a sense of urgency was in his gulps.

"Yeah I got something. I don't know what though. " Ozpin quirked an eyebrow at this.

"What do you mean?" Qrow sat down in the chair in front of the headmaster.

"Either the kid is a Branwen, which are the only ones to transform or utilize crows or Ravens, or he's hiding something big from us."

 **So that's chapter 3. I am enjoying writing this story and I hope you all like it. Just a clarification, Louis is the representation of the French king loui the sixteenth. Other than that things are going smoothly. Honestly, I didn't want Cardin to be a prick in this fic but I didn't want him to be likeable as well. Still working on that. In regards to updates however, I have been having a hard time. I don't get out of school til June and I am in the sick of it. Relentless mid terms and assignments are bombarding me and I am writing this after doing a ten page analysis on a play -_-. Did I mention school can suck a dick for all I care? My stories aren't dead, but things have been tough. Anyways enough of my bitching and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave a comment or review and as always, BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Tis I! The sparkiest of all dappers and the dapperest of all dabs back at it with another chapter of Tears of the Mind. With the break around the corner, I'm finding more time to write more chapters for you all to enjoy. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I don't own RWBY or Bioshock infinite. They belong to the late Monty Oum, Rooster Teeth, 2k and irrational games. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

Unwanted memories and unwanted people

The two huntsmen stood dumbfounded at everything that had just happened. Jaune's eyes remained wide as he realized so much has changed in just one month. His impact on people, the new students and the status of his team all changed so suddenly.

"Jaune." The blonde snapped to his senses and saw Ren with a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" apparently, Cardin wasn't the only one who saw him freeze up. Ren had a concerned look as well. Jaune sighed and brushed his friend's hand off.

"Yeah." Jaune muttered as he put his hands in his pockets. "It's just been a long day." Ren nodded at this and decided to follow him as they headed back to their room. Although Ren couldn't help but feel like there was something off about Jaune. As if he saw a nightmare come back to life. For now, the ninja decided not to process on about it, but would if it continued. Friend or not, one of the worst leaders is one who hesitates under pressure.

When the two returned to their room, they saw that RWBY had left and it was only Pyrrha and Nora who were respectively studying or listening to music. Both looked up surprised to see them so soon. Jaune smiled at both of them and he headed to his bed. Nora looked to her partner and he nodded at her while smirking. Nora nodded back and went back to her music.

"Are you okay?" Pyrrha asked as she closed her textbook and saw Jaune was unfastening his shoes.

"Yeah. I had to cool off a bit. Your not so secret admirer finally met me as well." Jaune joked and saw the sour look on his partner's face. "Eh he won't be a problem. Cardin put the fear of Oum into him." A surprised confusion overtook her face and he laughed. "I know. I was surprised as well. Apparently, there is someone else he hates more than me." the team chuckled at this and Jaune laid on his bed and let out a sigh of relief.

"I knew Louis since I started my tournament career and it has been borderline insufferable. Status and sex is all he craves." Pyrrha growled and Jaune looked back at her.

"I'm surprised he doesn't go for Weiss." Jaune said and it was then that Pyrrha started to giggle. "What?" he asked, wondering why Nora was now joining in and Ren was doing his best not to laugh.

"He did." Nora said trying to speak between her fit of laughter. "She froze his manhood and it took a few days before the frostbite went away." Jaune looked at them wide eyed and with a grin slowly creeping on his face.

"She took blue balls to a whole new level." The room was silent for a few moments as the three looked to Ren who was smirking. The room soon erupted into laughter. Pyrrha propped her elbow on her desk so her she couldn't collapse on it, Nora was slamming her hand on the bed doing her best to breathe, and Jaune was now on the floor howling with laughter. This continued for a few minutes but soon lowered to giggles from the four.

It was then that they heard a buzzing in the room. Jaune's attention turned to his scroll that was vibrating frantically and he picked it up while wiping a tear from his eye. His laughter ceased however as he saw the caller I.D. and the others noticed this as well. Despite the struggle to stop the laughter, they all became confused as he tossed his scroll at the foot of his bed, ignoring it altogether. Pyrrha was about to ask what was wrong until she saw the I.D. and only saw one word.

Dad.

"Jaune," Pyrrha started. "Why aren't you picking up?" Jaune scoffed at this as he folded his arms while laying back down on his bed.

"Doesn't matter." He mumbled as he tried to ignore the vibrating of the scroll by his feet. Pyrrha frowned at this and took a step forward.

"I think your family who has been looking for you for a month should matter." Pyrrha replied as she remembered the time his family came to the school to help in the search. Despite their worry, she could see the anger in his father's eyes when Ozpin told them about his transcripts and this worried her. His mother didn't seem to care for that and only wanted her son found and possibly back home. His older sisters were also as frantic as their mother and didn't seem to care for his transcripts as well. The teams bonded with them and helped search for him all over the city and Jaunes reluctance to even answer his scroll was concerning.

"Look, can we just ignore it and call it a day. Enough shit has happened and I would actually like to sleep well for the first time in a month." Jaune snapped back. Pyrrha went wide eyed at this. Just what did he mean by that last part. Whatever it was she knew it was tied to the scars all over his body. She was about to retort until she noticed that the vibrating stopped. Jaune let out a sigh and turned over onto his stomach and began to fall asleep, despite it only being six P.M. Pyrrha looked up to her teammates and saw the concern on Nora's face and the understanding expression of Ren. The champion decided to let it be and she returned back to studying, not without taking a few quick glances at her partner every once and a while, wondering what happened to him.

#

 _"_ _Your too impatient! I'm not ready!" the panicked girl said to the ceiling that was somehow moving. Jaune didn't know what to think at this point so he decided not to say anything to question it._

 _"_ _Whats going on?" he asked confused. The girl his age looked even more panicked as she began to bolt around the room looking for something._

 _"_ _You need to hide." She said as she continued looking for a hiding place._

 _"_ _Why not just go through the door?" He asked and received a sour look from her._

 _"_ _Believe me mister, I've tried, there's no key for that door." Jaune looked at the door for a few moments and realized the door resembled the key the twins gave him. He searched through his pockets and smirked when he found it._

 _"_ _You mean this key?" Jaune asked, holding the key up. She only took a quick glance at it before dismissing it._

 _"_ _I'm sorry but I don't thin-" she stopped in her steps as she turned back to the key in Jaune's hands. "Wait a minute. Where did you get this?" she asked as she headed towards the lock. All while the tower began to somewhat rumble._

 _"_ _I-I mean I got it from-" he was cut off when he haerd the door unlock and saw a look of pure relief and excitement on the girls face._

 _"_ _Come on!" she shouted and Jaune followed suit. They headed through the scaffolding on the inside of the tower but were soon cut off by massive claws ripping through the outer shell of the statue._

 _"_ _SWEET OUM ALMIGHTY!" Jaune screamed as he stumbled. The girl helped him back to his feet as they headed to the exit._

 _"_ _HURRY!" she hollered over the pandemonium that was collapsing all around them. After a few moments of running they finally made it to the elevator. As they anxiously waited, the girl turned around to see the observation windows that Jaune had passed by earlier and her eyes widened._

 _"_ _What is this?" she asked. Jaune was about to say something until she continued on. "They were watching me?" Jaune didn't really know the motivation behind all of this somewhat disturbing experimentation so he just nervously shrugged he shoulders._

 _Before he could say anything, they felt a massive quake in the tower and they both almost lost balance. The elevator doors slammed opened and Jaune's eyes widened as he looked at the massive head that began an ear-piercing squeal. Jaune readied his machine gun and aimed at the mechanical monstrosity. He was about open fire until he saw the elevator plummet down on the thing that was inches away from grabbing him. He saw it struggle against the cramped space and the added weight only hindering its chances of killing them. he unloaded a few shots into it and heard it screech slightly in pain. The weight of the elevator gave way and whatever that thing was soon crashed down with the burning debris._

 _"_ _WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Jaune screamed over the destruction. The girl seemed to ignore his frantic outburst and only gestured for him to follow her down the destroyed scaffolding. Jaune was in a daze at this point and wasn't sure what to think. First he gets knocked out by two really freaky twins, wakes up in a garden that leads him to a CITY IN THE SKY, finds out that said city is full of complete nutjobs more racist than the SDC, had to fight and kill Oum knows how many people, and now escaping a tower that housed a girl who was guarded by something he never wanted to see again. All he wanted to do right now was wake up from whatever twisted nightmare this was._

 _"_ _HELP ME OPEN THIS!" he heard her say. She was struggling with one of the doors and he nodded. Now wasn't the time to have a mental breakdown, hopefully he would live through this so that he could have one later. Jaune channeled some of his aura into his hands and got the door open. They both felt the rush of wind slam into them and they began their struggle up the tower._

 _"_ _WHERE ARE WE GOING?!" Jaune shouted at her as they struggled to make it up to the top of the tower._

 _"_ _UP!" she replied over the extreme winds. As they got to the top however, the tower shook one last time and they both felt the floor give way and slowly fall off the tower._

 _HOOOOLLLLY SHIIIIIT!" Jaune screamed. He could hear the terrified screams come from the girl now in front of him. He reached out to her and grasped her hand tightly. They began to freefall and before Jaune could close his eyes and accept his fate, he saw a sky rail beneath them. His eyes widened and pulled out the sky hook he stole from the first guard he killed. He saw the hooks rotating rapidly and prayed to any entity that would listen to him that he would survive this._

 _The hooks made contact with the rail and his aura absorbed most of the shock. Jaune grunted in pain as he nearly felt his arms rip from his sockets. However, he still was holding tightly to the girl who was using both hands to latch on to him. They traveled along the sky rail, both hearts pounding out of control and they only seemed to skyrocket when they heard the familiar screech from whatever was at the tower. Jaunes eyes widened as he saw a beast with massive wings soar past them._

 _"_ _WHAT IS THAT THING!" Jaune screamed as he had seen Nevermore before, but nothing like this. This was a whole new level of insanity. Jaune looked around some more, trying to find anyplace they could jump down. He saw a small docking bay and sighed with relief. It was only about few dozen meters away and all he had to do was hold on for just a little longer._

 _That is until the flying monster crashed through the sky rail that he was about to come to._

 _"_ _Son of a BIIIIIIITTTTTCCHHH!" Jaune screamed as he and the girl once again plummeted to the ground below. Jaune muted out the noises from all around and he put his arms out in front of him, bracing for the impact._

"AAGH!" Jaune gasped as he held his hands out in front of him. His breathing was rapid and his head darted all around his surroundings. He wasn't in Columbia anymore. He was in his dorm room with his team who were all still asleep. His heart was still pounding and he put his hand to his head.

"What the fuck." Jaune whispered to himself. That felt too real to be a dream. It felt as if he was reliving those times with her. His mind clamped shut as if it was in a vice and he shook his head. He needed a drink and he needed one now. He put on a red long sleeve shirt and some of his newer pajama bottoms and silently headed out into the hallway.

Jaune was able to sneak past some of the school security and after a few minutes made it to the mess hall. He headed to the kitchen and saw the liquor cabinet was in the back pantry. He saw that only a padlock kept it secure and he chuckled at this.

"If I learned one thing back in Columbia, is that every quirk you have or learn matters." He said as he took out a lock pick that he carried on him for just this occasion. After a few seconds of fiddling with the lock, he heard the familiar and satisfying sound of the padlock becoming undone. Jaune opened the cabinet and studied the brands in front of him.

"Lady Nevermore huh." He said to himself. He saw this brand back at the bar he went to after he got back to Remnant but didn't have any of it due to it being way too expensive. He shrugged his shoulders and poured himself a glass. He downed the dark liquid in a manner of moments and he nearly coughed.

"Toughest shit I've ever drank." Jaune muttered. "Oh, I'm keeping you." He said as he poured himself another glass. After downing the second drink he washed out his glass and headed back to his room. Never noticing the fiery mop of hair that contrasted with the moonlight.

#

The mess hall was booming now with students who were excited for their first day of the weekend and now taking care of breakfast. RWBY and (J)NPR were sitting across from each other. Little conversation was had until they saw Jaune enter the mess hall. They were surprised to see that he kept his vest and red sash combo and not his traditional hoodie that they were so used to.

"Hey guys." Jaune said as he sat down. Silent nods or cheerful gestures were his reply and he smiled at this.

"Sleep well last night?" he heard Yang ask and he nodded.

"One of the best nights I ever had." He told her with a toothy grin. Something that confused him though was how reclusive Nora seemed. He swore he saw her scoff at this but he decided to shake his head and pay no mind to it. "Honestly I think things are turning for the better." Jaune continued and before he could say more, he heard the doors to the mess hall slam open.

"JAUNE MILES ARC!" they students went silent as they heard the massive voice boom throughout the mess hall. RWBY and NPR look at the blonde in question who has a blank expression on his face. They then looked over to the entrance to see a massive man with a blonde mane trailing down to his shoulders. He had a goatee and was dawning white armor that covered his upper body. The one thing that all saw was the massive greatsword strapped to his back. They saw the man scan the room and focus on where they were sitting. He made his way to them and they noticed each step he took had a sense of pride and purpose. Perhaps a little too much pride. The man stood over Jaune and the huntsmen in training only sighed.

"And the day was going so well too." Jaune muttered as he stood up and looked slightly up to make eye contact with the man in front of him. "Dad." He started, which made everyone at the table go wide eyed. Silence layered the entire room with students not sure what they should do. the man in front of Jaune was about to say something. Pyrrha saw his fist shaking as well. That was when the doors slammed opened once more and this time seven women appeared. They all fixed in on the two blondes standing up and Jaune's team saw him go wide eyed. The woman in the center of the group who was the oldest had the same expression that Jaune had. She was dawning a yellow sundress and had her brunette hair up in a ponytail. Her tan skin reflected off the light that was coming through the front doors and they noticed that tears were in her eyes.

"JAUNE!" they all heard her shout. She rushed to where he was and before anyone could say anything, the woman glomped the huntsman in training all while sobbing. What really stood out to Pyrrha however, were the tears streaming down Jaune's face.

"Hey mom." He said with a shaky voice. She pulled away from the hug for a few moments to get a good look at her son and she had to admit, she was impressed with how handsome he looked in his new attire.

"We lost you." she said before pulling him back into a tighter hug.

"I came back." he replied with a stifled laugh.

"And apparently ignored my calls." They heard Jaune's father say with a stern voice. Jaunes eyes snapped open and he stood up. His father's eyes were focused on him and his arms were folded.

"That was the plan." Jaune retorted with the same glare his father had and before he could say anything more, they heard footsteps coming their way.

"It appears Mr. Arc has some explaining to do don't you agree?" Everyone's attention was on Headmaster Ozpin with his signature coffee mug and cane in his hands. Glynda was at his side and she nodded at this. Jaune's mother got up and looked at the headmaster with a confused expression. "It's good to see you again Maria. You as well Alexander." Alexander Arc nodded at this and Maria was about to ask something before Ozpin put his hand up. "He just came back yesterday. We can talk about this in my office. Jaune." He called out which caught his attention. "Bring your team as well. RWBY is welcome to come along as well." Jaune nodded at this and saw that everyone at his table stood up. He chuckled at this and gestured them to follow.

#

The ride up to Ozpin's office could be described as cramped and uncomfortable on all accounts and as the doors opened, Jaune let out a sigh of relief. He and his team emerged along with the headmaster and his parents. RWBY and his sisters were the second group coming up to the office. When everyone filed into the massive room, Ozpin sat back down at his table.

"Now I assume that you and your family have just received the news that your son has returned." Ozpin asked and Alexander scoffed.

"I discovered that he was back yesterday when I saw on Violets Dustbook page a video of him beating his partner in a match." Alexander said coldly. Ozpin nodded at this while Jaune refused to acknowledge the man next to him. "I found out that his scroll was online and he refused to pick up. So, I decided we head over to see him ourselves." Maria looked at Jaune with shock and then looked back at Ozpin.

"How long has he been back?" She asked Ozpin, who leaned forward and set his sights on Jaune.

"Mr. Arc came into my office only yesterday. However, I don't know how long he has been in Vale before coming back to Beacon. Only he can answer that." all eyes were now on Jaune, waiting for his answer. His arms were folded and he had a look on his face that showed he was contemplating what he was going to say next.

"I've been in Vale for a week before coming back to Beacon." He then turned to his partner who was shocked at this revelation. "Your lead on me was right. I was the one who stopped that fight at the bar." Her eyes widened and Jaune could see the anger growing on everyone.

"Jaune," he heard his mom say in a somewhat cold voice. "You better have a good reason for not contacting any of us." The temperature in the room dropped as she said this and Jaune looked back at her unfazed.

"I needed time alone. It was hard coming back from where I've been. I needed time to decompress before I came back." apparently, this wasn't a good enough answer and Maria looked royally pissed. "It was hard getting back to normal, but now I'm okay." He said, trying to defuse the situation.

"Really?" all eyes were on Nora Valkyrie, who looked just as angry. Jaune didn't show his confusion and instead just nodded. His teammate folded her arms at this. "Then why did I see you take and down a bottle of Lady Nevermore last night in the school pantry?" Jaune's eyes widened at this and his body went cold. He felt every emotion range from shock to unbridled fury aimed right at him. And he could only mutter one word.

"Shit."

 **OOOOH SHHIIIT JAUNE! BUSTED! How will everyone react to this? Why is there beef with his dad? Why didn't I describe his sisters yet? Will Jaune's ass be ready for the whipping he is about to receive from his mom? Columbia got nothing on a pissed off mom. Alright beautiful people that's all I got for now. Leave a comment or review and as always, BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


	5. Chapter 5

**No time to explain! Read chapter now! Don't own any of the franchises used in the story. They belong to their respective owners. ENJOY!**

Chapter 5

The unwelcomed sense of belonging

The room was silent as all eyes were on Jaune. He looked at Nora who was now in front of him and the one thing he could see in her eyes was hurt. He could safely assume that most of them were hurt or angry at this news.

"While Ren and Pyrrha are heavy sleepers, I'm not. A downside of living on my own when I was little." She said, breaking the silence. "I woke up hearing you grunting in your sleep. It sounded like you were having a nightmare. I was about to wake you up when you waked up on your own. I could see you sweating and gasping. I didn't know what to think when you left so I followed. That's when I saw you steal a bottle from the pantry." She noticed that Jaune's hands tightened and she took a step toward him, all while having an intense glare. "You've only been back for a day and I can already tell somethings wrong." As soon as she said this, she turned on her heal and headed to Rens side who had a look of shock at both his leader's actions and Nora's upfront behavior.

"Mr. Arc, is this true?" Ozpin asked as he leaned slightly forward, propping his elbows on the desk. Jaune stood there. His hands tightened and they could hear his teeth grind against one another.

"Yes." Jaune said as he looked up at the headmaster who was sending him a stern look. Before anyone could say anything, Ozpin continued on.

"May I ask why you thought that was a wise decision?" he asked and Jaune let out a sigh of frustration.

"The bottle hasn't let me down before." Jaune quipped and it was then that his mom stepped in.

"What did you just say?!" she screamed. Her eyes were wide with a mix of concern and anger. He looked over her shoulder and saw that his team and Ruby had the same expression. However, his stern expression didn't falter.

"I said that this isn't the first time I've downed a bottle. And so far, it hasn't let me down. What do you think I was doing at a bar the first week I was back?" he said somewhat coldly and his mother put her hands to her mouth, not sure to believe what she had just heard from her son.

"Do you care to explain why you have resulted to such an act, especially for someone your age?" Ozpin asked, causing the attention to be aimed at his question. Everyone in the room grew surprised that Jaune scoffed at this.

"Age means nothing after what happened. Either you live or die." Jaune's eyes narrowed at the headmaster as he said this. "And after what happened, I needed time. Is that too much to ask?" Jaune's hands tightened as he said this.

"When you have friends and family worrying day in and day out, yes it is!" Jaune turned back to see Nora who had a frustrated expression on her face. "And for the love of Oum can you stop being so cryptic?!" Jaune raised his eyebrows at this and Nora jabbed a finger into his chest. "We get that you were drugged and kidnapped." Jaune's family grew visibly shocked as they heard this come out of the bomber. "But why won't you tell us what happened there?! We can't help you if you keep hiding it from us!" Jaune stood there somewhat shocked to not see anger or frustration, but concern and worry. It was then Jaune realized that she was saying these things not because she was sick of the way he acted, but because she cared what happened to her friend.

"And why wouldn't we believe you?" Ren then interjected as he walked to Nora's side. "Yesterday you said we wouldn't believe you if you told us." Jaune looked back to his friend with somber eyes due to not wanting to relive the past month.

"Would you care to tell us the true story Mr. Arc?" Ozpin said. Jaune took another look around the room. He noticed that everyone besides his father was giving him nothing but concern. He tried to refuse, he wanted to just leave, head back to his motel room, and get wasted. The only problem with that scenario was that it was time to man up and face the music.

'It's time I get this over with.' Jaune thought to himself and let out a breath to reassure himself. "Well I told my friends what happened." he gestured to his team and RWBY. "But to recap, I went into Vale to deal with something and I just so happened to get drugged and kidnapped." his mother gasp at this and he nodded. "I don't know where exactly they took me but all I know is that the place was called Columbia." He saw that Ozpin nod at this and Jaune continued on. "Things actually seemed alright at first. The people were nice, and the area was pleasant to say the least." Jaunes eyes hardened though as he looked down at his sword. "Unfortunately, they were expecting me. Called me the False Shepherd." Jaune heard his father scoff at this until he saw his Mom send a glare towards the huntsman. Jaune scoffed as well as he thought back to that day at the raffle. "Needless to say, things went to hell. One minute everyone was smiling, the next they were trying to kill me." He looked over to Pyrrha who's eyes couldn't get wider. "And that was my month. Trying by any means necessary to escape. As soon as I got back I needed to be alone. I honestly tried to call you all, but I was kind of not all right in the head." He scratched the back of his head and fell silent, indicating that he was done with his story. Ozpin didn't move from his spot as he simply narrowed his eyes.

"You had to kill to survive, didn't you?" Ozpin asked. Maria Arc didn't take this question too well.

"Please." they heard Alexander say as his arms were folded. "The boy could hardly kill a Beowolf, how do you expect him to take out a single person?" Anger began to rise in Jaune's friends and the blonde knight simply sighed and walked to the headmaster's desk. Jaune then unsheathed Crocea Mors, surprising everyone that he brought his weapon with him. That surprise turned to confusion as Jaune took out a piece of black cloth from his back pocket and began rubbing at the blade. It took a few seconds for Ozpin's eyes to widen oh so slightly.

Alexander furrowed his eyebrow, wanting to know what made the headmaster react this way and he made his way past his wife and daughters so he could see. The huntsman then saw his son look up to him as he picked up the blade and showed them what the Arc heirloom looked like without the polish Jaune applied to it a few days prior. Alexander's mouth gaped a bit as he saw the fresh bloodstains coating the entire sword, some areas were darker than others, indicating that he had been using this sword for a while. Jaune looked to his mother. Her hands were clasped around her mouth. His older sisters were all shocked as well to see the sword that shined through the darkness for generations, now be covered in dried up blood.

"It was hard." Jaune said, breaking the silence. "It was really hard the first time. I still can't unsee that man getting his head split in two." When Jaune said this he eyed his father, not knowing what emotions he saw in the man. "Keep the sword." The blonde knight said to his father. Alexander said nothing as he gave his son a tense nod while sheathing Crocea Mors. Jaune then turned to the headmaster and folded his arms. "So, when do you want me to pack my things." Ozpin looked at Jaune quizzically for a few moments before chuckling.

"I don't see why you have to leave Mr. Arc." it was now Jaune's turn to be confused and Ozpin leaned forward. "You passed my test yesterday. I don't see why you have to leave." Jaune's shoulders slumped a bit with relief. "However," Jaune's shoulders tensed a bit. "I will have to put you through a two-week detention, along with prohibiting you from consuming any alcohol as long as you attend my school." Jaune mentally groaned at this but decided to keep calm and listen to what Ozpin had to say. "You will also take an hour out of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for counseling with Doctor Oobleck." Jaune raised an eyebrow at this along with his team. "He has a PHD in psychology as well as history and archeology. I will notify him on your past month and inform him of his new work schedule. Will that suffice Maria?" Jaune saw his mother step forward with a forced but gentle smile on her face.

"I can trust Oobleck." she said. "He was my partner after all." Jaune gawked at this last remark and his mother nodded. Maria saw that her husband was about to interject but grew silent at the deadly glare Maria gave him. When it came to making decisions that involved her kids, especially her son, her word was law. "He will also call me once a month to make sure things are okay. I do not want a repeat of last month." That glare slightly turned to Jaune and he nodded calmly.

"Alright then. I hope you all have a good day." Ozpin saw the troubled look in Alexander's eyes. Ozpin responded to this with a harsh glare which seemed to help the huntsman leave much quicker. As the Arcs were leaving, Jaune's older sisters passed by him giving him sympathetic looks and hugs, hoping that he will be okay. His mother was the last one to the elevator before she stopped in front of him.

"If you do anything stupid I will come here in full force." She glared at him when he said this and Jaune felt a twinge of fear travel through him, knowing how capable his mom was at giving him a whipping.

"I believe you." Jaune replied and was pulled into a hug. He reciprocated the hug and saw her go to the elevator with the rest of his family. As the doors closed, his eyes soften as he saw the blood-stained blade one last time. Jaune took a few moments to look at the doors before turning back to the headmaster.

"Now that that's over with," Ozpin started. "It is time to go over some new rules for you and your team Mr. Arc." Jaune silently gulped at this and his team felt a little weary of what Ozpin had to say. "You will be accompanied by Ms. Nikos everywhere you go outside of the school. Even with your counseling I still can't rule out the fact you will try to acquire alcohol in Vale." Jaune sighed at this while his partner mentally cheered. "However, you will be able to walk freely around Beacon." Ozpin then glared at the blonde in front of him. "That is if you decide to break into the school pantry again. If that happens then you can kiss the luxury of privacy goodbye." Jaune nodded solemnly at this and Ozpin turned to Jaune's team. "Once a day you three will go through Jaune's inventory to make sure he isn't carrying any more illegal substances on him as well." Jaune was about to interject before Ozpin's hand went up. "That does not mean you have a green light to rummage through his things. You will only check to see if he has alcohol or any drug that is considered illegal in my school. Am I understood?" Jaune's team nodded and the blonde swore he heard his partner make a soft "aww" noise, but decided he was just hearing things.

"Then that is all. Mr. Arc. I know that you went through something traumatic and I know your still hiding some things." Jaune irked at this and felt his team and sister team's eyes on him once more. "I or anyone else will not bother you any further on it until you are ready to tell us. If yesterday was any indication, it will only push you further away. But please keep in mind that your team and friends simply care for your wellbeing. Remember that Mr. Arc." Jaune nodded one last time before he and his friends headed down to the elevator. As the doors closed, Ozpin let out a sigh.

"I have a bad feeling Alex is going to try and make his son's life harder than it already is." Goodwitch said to the headmaster who massaged his temple.

"I will agree with you. And I will also agree with you in your distain for him as well." Goodwitch looked to her boss who had a smirk on his face, knowing how she hated the huntsman that was Alexander Arc. "We will do what we can to help Jaune in this dilemma. He is certified as an adult now as well so his parents have no legal control over him." Goodwitch looked at Ozpin with confusion and his gaze soften on the file in front of him that contained a copy of Jaune's birth certificate. "He turned eighteen last month. What worries me is that I don't think he's realized it yet. You saw it in his eyes when he looked at his father Glynda." Goodwitch's eyes widened a bit at this.

"What are you saying Ozpin?" Goodwitch asked and Ozpin sighed.

"Either Jaune doesn't care on the matter, or he was so busy fighting, he didn't even realize it. And judging by the condition his sword was in, I will safely assume it was the latter."

 **With Jaune:**

"Well that was a thing." the blonde knight yawned as he stretched out his arms. The other seven students that were with him nodded in agreement and he smiled at them. "So does anyone plan on doing anything for the weekend?" Jaune asked to everyone. His team shrugged slightly while Ruby's team looked a little off putting.

"Actually, the team and I are going to… have an outing so we can work on our teamwork!" Ruby said as if she was trying to hide something. Jaune noticed that the rose's team cringed at their leaders cover up and he mentally shrugged. They had their secrets and he had his. It wasn't his place to say anything.

"Hope you all have fun then." Jaune noticed that Weiss was taking him for a fool until he gave her a knowing look. She stopped her immediate assumption and looked a little fearful for some reason. As RWBY walked off to their dorm, Pyrrha spoke up.

"Do you have anything planned for today Jaune?" Pyrrha asked and Jaune snapped back to his senses. He looked over to his partner and shrugged his shoulders.

"Actually, I have to go into Vale and pick something up from the room I was staying at." Pyrrha eyed him slightly and he laughed. "No, no booze. Just some leftover supplies and whatnot." He then irked at a sudden realization. "I still have to check out of that place as well." Nora looked a little irritated at her leader's antics.

"Really Jaune?" she asked while putting her hands on her hips. "Just waltzed out and decided to come back without checking out?" Jaune chuckled at his team who were taking him for an idiot.

"To be fair I was hung over at the time." He winced at the slight glares from his teammates and decided to walk forward. "Anyways, since I can't really go anywhere in Vale without you, when we leave is up to you." Jaune noticed Pyrrha grin a bit at this.

"We can go now." Pyrrha said. Nora was about to rejoice to the sudden outing before Ren grabbed the back of her collar.

"As much as we would like to join you two, Nora still hasn't finished her paper on the great war. So, you two are on your own." Ren said as he started to drag his reluctant partner back to their dorm. All the while Nora was protesting. Unknown to the bomber and their leader, Ren gave Pyrrha a slight gesture towards Jaune and the champion blushed a bit. Ren chuckled to himself and continued on with his partner.

"So, I guess we should get going." Jaune said as his partner nodded. They then headed off in the direction of the docks. The walk there was a bit awkward to say the least. Now that Jaune thought about it, this was the first time he was able to talk to just her. Adding to the fact that he now knew she helped him in the Forever Fall, and that she knew where he had been and not to mention the scars all over his body, he wasn't entirely sure how this day would go. The two boarded the nearest bullhead and sat on a nearby bench, both still not saying a word. Jaune noticed that his partner was basically studying him now, eyeing him up and down until she spoke up.

"You're usually going to the trashcan at this point." Jaune raised an eyebrow at this and he let out a short laugh.

"You're not wrong." Jaune said while closing his eyes and folding his arms. "Built up a little tolerance to the whole motion sickness. That being said, I still have an uneasy stomach if there is turbulence or if the ship is going too slow." Pyrrha nodded at this but soon cocked her head slightly in confusion.

"But your fine if you're going fast?" she asked and Jaune smirked a bit. Remembering all the times he zipped around at blinding speeds on the skylines. During his first few times getting the hang of the sky hook, he either nearly barfed his guts out or almost fell to his death. It wasn't until he escaped the burning zeppelin that crazed zealot set on fire when he actually did it. He remembered diving out head first onto a skyline and that's when he truly got the hang of it. Despite the death and destruction that happened in those moments, he couldn't help but smile at the fact that he pulled through in that intense moment.

"Yup." was his only response and he let out a short sigh as he felt his stomach churn a bit. He opened one of his eyes and noticed Pyrrha acting a little off. As if she was conflicted about something. "I haven't really had the time to say this, but I want to say I'm sorry." She looked at him quizzically and he scratched the back of his head before chuckling a bit. "Where to start exactly?" he said out loud and she laughed at this.

"Start with what's been bothering you the most." she said while giving him a gentle smile. He reciprocated the smile and leaned his head back against the wall behind them.

"Well for starters, saving my ass back at the Forever Fall." He noticed Pyrrha winced a bit at his language and he sighed a bit. "Sorry, vocab got a little vulgar when I was away." It took her a few seconds but she nodded at this. "I shouldn't have said those things on the roof and you helping against the Ursa only emphasizes that." she said nothing as he decided to continue on. "Also for up and leaving like that when I overheard you and Weiss talking about it. I don't know why I acted like that." Pyrrha looked at his somewhat uncomfortable form and she continued smiling at him.

"You were mad. You had the right to be." He looked back to her and nodded a bit. "I should have told you. That was for certain." Jaune took a few moments to compose himself after the bullhead went through a little turbulence.

"Well despite that, it's no excuse for nearly stomping on your face when we fought." She looked at him with a bit of confusion as she saw a pained expression forming on his face. "During the fight, some unwelcomed memories came back and I kind of lost it." She stared at him for a few moments before letting out another sigh as the bullhead was about to land.

"We both lost control for a bit during that fight, so I guess we're both to blame." To her confusion, Jaune scoffed at this.

"Wouldn't have lost it if I didn't piss you off." He said somewhat jokingly. "Those bruises are going to be there for weeks." Pyrrha laughed a bit at his antics.

"Even so, it was amazing to see such an improvement." Pyrrha said as she and Jaune got off the bullhead and walked forward into the city of Vale. "I was surprised to say the least." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and nodded in response.

"Well the arsenal I had at the time wouldn't cut it back in Columbia. So, improvisation was basically the key to surviving." he said somewhat jokingly. His response was silence as he looked to his partner who was giving him a look of concern. Jaune mentally sighed, knowing she had questions he didn't want to answer. "Sorry." he said in a kneejerk response.

"Will we ever know what happened?" the two stopped on the sidewalk that was leading them to the old motel. Jaune was looking back at her and he noticed the amount of stress and worry in her eyes. his only response was a nod. Pyrrha took a few seconds but a small smile formed on her lips. She walked back to his side and the two carried on.

"Y'know, I just realized I've yet to thank you." Pyrrha looked at her leader quizzically and he smiled at her. "I saw the security footage of you looking all over Vale for me." she blushed a bit at this and he laughed wholeheartedly. "So, thanks for not giving up on me." she smiled at him and jokingly elbowed him.

"You would have done the same for me, Ren, Nora, and even RWBY." He smiled at this. His smile turned into a grimace as he stopped in his tracks. "Jaune?" she asked and he gestured to the building just ahead of them. Pyrrha looked in said direction and her eyes widened a bit.

"We're here." he somewhat grumbled as he walked by her. The two made their way to the motel room door and Jaune put his hand out in front of his partner. "Could you wait here for a second. It's only a few things that I need to grab." Pyrrha eyed him and he shrugged a bit.

Jaune entered the room and he sighed a bit with stress. He saw the empty bottles of various strong alcohol along the dresser and the occasional cigarette. He would admit that he hated the notion of smoking, but after discovering his aura could handle the smoke in his lungs, he decided why not after all the shit he went through. Not to mention that his aura also filtered out the nicotine so he could choose when to smoke or not. He was never truly addicted to it. He wished he could say that when it came to the bottle.

Jaune opened up one of the bedside drawers and picked up a pack of cigarettes and put one in his mouth. He smirked a bit, knowing he didn't need a lighter and he snapped his fingers. A flicker of flame emerged and he lit the little stick of stress relief. He took a few puffs until setting the cigarette down and crouched under his bed. He felt around for a second and smiled when he felt what he was looking for. With a tug, he pulled out a large suitcase of sorts. Some would say that it was more of a wooden crate. He blew off the dust and opened up the crate and smiled at the familiar belongings that were in front of him. He pulled out a holster and strapped it to his left side. The next belonging, he pulled out was a massive revolver. He checked the chamber and made sure it was loaded before holstering it as he dug further he pulled out a few more ammo clips and bullets for his hand cannon. The next item he pulled out was a bottle of sorts. He swished it around and noticed that it was still full. He chuckled and uncorked the bronze bottle with a man riding a bucking horse for the cap. Sure his aura refilled his various Vigors gradually, but every once and a while, a quick swig of any of the bottles would give him the boost he needed. Jaune felt the energy surge through him as he took a few swigs. In the meantime, he kept rummaging through his suitcase and picked up a few more things. Most of it was spare bullets and knives. Now that he didn't have Crocea Mors, he would have to improvise until he got or made a new weapon. In the meantime, his current arsenal would do.

He stopped though as he came across something that sent a pain in his heart. A picture. It was old and it looked withered. There was no color and he couldn't help but grit his teeth at the sight of it. He fully sat down and rested his back on the side of the bed while drinking the rest of the Bucking Bronco while looking at the picture. It was a picture of him. Behind him was a massive tower that Remnant has never seen before. 'I think she called it the Eifel Tower' he said to himself. What made him down the bottle even faster even if it didn't contain any alcohol, was the woman that was in front of him who he was wrapping his arms around her waist and his head resting over her shoulder. He didn't need the color to remember how the blue popped on her and how the contrasting white only made her look more amazing. What made him felt hurt the most were the smiles that the two of them had on their faces. They had just escaped hell in the sky and they were happy. Happier than ever and no one could take that away from them. At least that's what he thought.

"Jaune?" he heard Pyrrha say. What made him do a spit take was that she was inside the room, looking at all the empty bottles, and also noticing that he had a bottle in his mouth at the moment.

Needless to say, she was pissed.

She stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. "Son of a bitch!" he muttered before grabbing the key card to the room and took off after her. he saw that she was quickly making her way across the abandoned parking lot. He hopped over the railing and landed solidly.

"Pyrrha!" he shouted as he got closer. He kept shouting her name as he got closer. "It's not-" he was cut off when she quickly turned back to him with anger and tears forming in her eyes.

"Not what it looks like?!" she was assuming the end of his comment and she walked towards him. "Then what was that?! cause from what I could see, it was some pathetic drunk downing another bottle!" Jaune would be lying if he said that didn't hurt a bit. The two were at a standstill for a few moments before Pyrrha turned around. "I have to report this to Ozpin." she said somewhat coldly. She continued to walk across the parking lot, anger apparent on her all the while thinking how she could be so stupid to let Jaune go in alone. She felt stupid for thinking that.

 **THWOOM!**

Before Pyrrha could even comprehend what that noise was, she felt herself shoot off the ground and be suspended in the air. The sudden jolt made all her blood rush to her head and she couldn't get a grasp on her surroundings due to spinning slowly out of control. What she did notice was the ground below her was cracked to hell and that there was some sort of bronze energy floating all around her.

After a few seconds, the energy ceased to exist and she plummeted to the ground. Pyrrha fell onto the black asphalt with a lout thud. Coughing was apparent along with her look of confusion. She darted her head all around her and noticed that there was nothing out of the ordinary. That was until she saw her partner.

Jaune had his hand held out as if he was pushing something. The look on his face was conflicted to say the least but that wasn't the thing that stood out. What stood out was that his hand looked as if it was fractured. Cracks and fissures interlaced his hand while the energy she just saw around her was condensed all over him. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? Before she could even mutter a word out, he slowly made his way to her. Jaune was a foot away from her now and he held out his hand for her to grab. The cracks soon dissipated and the energy was no more.

"That wasn't alcohol." Jaune said softly and yet, almost flatly. "You want the full story? I'll tell you. But on my terms." Pyrrha looked at him with shock in her eyes. "The only conditions are Ozpin hears nothing from you. And call Ren and Nora so they can meet with us. Can you do that?" what made Pyrrha feel a bit more shocked was that he wasn't sounding demanding. He sounded a bit like he was pleading with her, as if he was begging for a chance to explain himself. Pyrrha looked up at him for a few moments before taking his hand and nodded. Jaune let out a sigh, not knowing how his team would take the subtle details that he left out in the story he previously told them.

 **SWEET MOTHER OF BUDDHA ON THE HOOD OF A MERCEDES BENZ! FINALLY GOT A DAMN CHAPTER OUT! Now this was a tough one everyone. This took seven drafts of scrapping and starting from square one. SEVEN! The reason being is that there were many avenues to take in this chapter. I could have made Jaune resent his friends and family, but I didn't want him to seem like an edgy dick. I have Reaping with Sorrow for that. I also didn't want him to forgive too easily or brush it off like nothing happened. wheres the fun in that? So, I hope this suffices. I have a brief idea of where to go from here, but Reaping with Sorrow is taking top priority at the moment. However, I am open to ideas and questions if any of you all have any. If so send me a PM and we'll see what happens form there. Okay, hope you all enjoyed it. Drop a comment or review and as always, BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 SIGNING OFF!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright everyone! Here is another chapter of Tears of the Mind. A major change has occurred and I would like to announce that I am no longer alone in this struggle. Firestorm808 is now helping me out and has been a valued pair of eyes looking over my mistakes and or suggesting ideas that have helped immensely. I hope with this new addition to the writing process; the story will become much more enjoyable for you all. Anyways, I don't own RWBY or Bioshock infinite. They belong to their respective owners and or companies. ENJOY!**

Chapter 6

Tears of lightning

Jaune and Pyrrha waited patiently in a nearby park for the rest of their team. Their scrolls read that it was about two in the afternoon at the moment, and Jaune was resting on a park bench with his legs stretched out. His hands were in his pockets as the let out slow breaths. He was on the border of sleeping until he cracked open one of his eyes to see Pyrrha sitting across from him. She was across the sidewalk, and he noticed her intense glare that was full of nothing but concern. Jaune internally groaned at this. For one day, just one day, could he not have to deal with people being over the top and prying him for answers? Sadly, this was not the case as the two were silent ever since the incident in the parking lot. The problem was that he couldn't get a read on how Pyrrha was feeling. It was as if she put up a wall all around her so that no one could tell what she was thinking. Jaune winced as memories of similar actions that 'she' used on him as well. Despite the pain in his heart and mind, he couldn't help but realize the similarity between Pyrrha and her.

"Sorry, we were a little late." Jaune's head perked up when he saw his two other teammates, Nora and Ren, walk up to them. Jaune smiled in returned and brushed off Ren's apology.

"No worries," Jaune said as he and Pyrrha made their way to the rest of their team. Nora almost immediately noticed Pyrrha's distraught behavior, and she gave the champion a questioning glance.

"You okay, Pyrrha?" Nora asked with concern noticeable in her voice. Jaune looked to the both of them and gave a reassuring smile.

"She's going to be alright. Something happened. I think it would be better if we were all here, so we can talk about it," Jaune calmly said, and before anyone could say anything, Jaune eyed them all. "And it will be on my terms." Ren looked at his leader with confusion, and Jaune sighed a bit as he walked past the three. "C'mon," he said while gesturing for them to follow. Ren and Nora looked to Pyrrha for answers, and the champion only nodded at their leader's request.

The four of them went walking for about twenty minutes before Jaune stopped in his tracks, and his team could see him smile a bit as he looked up at the establishment in front of him. The three of them immediately dawned looks of sternness and concern as they realized that this lounge served alcohol. Jaune apparently didn't see their looks as he headed straight into the establishment without hesitation. The rest of the team looked at each other and reluctantly made their way inside.

Burgundy was the basis of the lounge the three entered into, and the mahogany tables and bar on the far side of the room clashed pretty well. The stale scent of cigarettes invaded their nostrils, and Nora resisted the urge to gag at this. Pyrrha had a disapproving look on her face. Ren remained neutral as he looked out to see a few people at the tables, idly talking and smoking the occasional cigarette. He spotted Jaune at the far side of the lounge, sitting by himself at a booth. Ren noticed that Pyrrha eyes slightly widened, and as the ninja looked over to Jaune, he discovered why. Their leader took a quick puff from a lit cigarette and quickly smashed it on the ashtray that was provided on the table. The blonde looked up and smiled when he saw his team. He gestured for them to come sit and they reluctantly complied. The three of them sat down, Nora sitting next to Jaune while Pyrrha and Ren sat across from him.

Jaune saw the look in his partner's eyes, and he mildly shrugged. Before anyone could say anything, a waiter came up to them.

"How can I-" the waiter's eyes widened a bit before he smiled. "Ah! Mr. Arc! So glad to see you again!" His three teammates were all confused beyond belief as they heard the waiter exclaim his joy at Jaune's presence. They looked to Jaune for some answers, and he ignored them, smiling back at the waiter.

"Rory. The best damn waiter Remnant has to offer." Jaune chuckled a bit as the waiter became a bit flustered at the compliment. "How did they like the stuff?" Jaune asked Rory while nudged his head towards the customers.

"They absolutely loved it. Attracted a few more patrons as well. I believe we have five more regulars now," Rory assumed as he put a thumb to his chin.

Jaune smirked a bit at this. "What did I say?" Jaune asked rhetorically while shrugging. "That little recipe was an investment worth spending good lien on."

Before the team could ask what he was talking about, they noticed Rory nodding vigorously. "And in doing so, saving our business. My uncle is very grateful that you decided to sell us those bottles of wine."

Jaune leaned back a bit to see a burly man tending the bar giving him a look of gratitude. Jaune smiled and nodded in response before turning back to Rory. "Everyone, this is Rory. Rory, this is my team: Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha," Jaune said while gesturing to each of them who looked either confused or irritated at his antics. Jaune chuckled in response to this.

"Pleasure to meet you all," Rory said with a soft smile on his face. "Anyways, do you need any more time or do you all know what you're ordering?" Rory grew a little anxious at the flat stares he was receiving from Jaune's team.

"Water will be good for now," Jaune said, breaking the tension. All eyes were back on him, and Rory nodded before turning around and heading to other tables.

"Mind telling us what that was about?" Ren asked flatly, and Jaune simply looked to his teammate.

"When I just got back to Vale, I needed cash, and I had a few bottles from Columbia on me." Jaune noticed a glare coming from Pyrrha. "Rem-Vale have nothing close to what Columbia has when it comes to wine, so, for a few bottles and the recipe to make said whine, they gave me a hefty amount of lien." Jaune was thankful that they didn't notice his diversion. He knew he was going to tell them more of what happened, but mentioning that Columbia was existing in another plane of existence was not one of them.

"Which you then proceeded to spend said lien on booze," Pyrrha said while she folded her arms. Ren and Nora looked to their leader for answers.

"Guilty," he said somewhat jokingly. Pyrrha was about to respond but was interrupted by Rory.

"Here's your water," he said as he set them down. "Anything else?" he asked, and Jaune pulled out a twenty-lien card and slid it across the table.

"Just some peace and quiet please." Rory knowingly nodded while pocketing the card and headed off once again. As he did this, Jaune took a sip of his water. The four of them were silent for a few minutes while Jaune became more relaxed and, in doing so, undid his red sash around his neck. The silence continued till Jaune spoke up. "I didn't come back to Beacon to be policed and harassed by my team." What his team did pick up on was his cold tone. "For the past day, that's what it has been like." He saw that the three of them were still silent, and he continued on. "I came back so I could hopefully get things back to normal. I know you guys, RWBY, and Ozpin think that you're helping, but you're not. Not in the slightest." At this Pyrrha slammed her fist on the table.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD HAVE DONE?!" Jaune gave her a bored stare as she reciprocated with a look of fury. Ren and Nora refused to move as their teammates were at a standoff, and Jaune soon took another sip of water while leaning back and folding his arms.

"How about treating me like a partner and a teammate instead of being treated like a kicked dog," Jaune said coldly, and he noticed that Pyrrha's glare didn't falter. "I understand what you meant when you told me that everyone needs help Pyrrha." Her furious expression turned to one of confusion, and Jaune cocked an eyebrow. "The rooftop? Where I told you about my transcripts?" Pyrrha realized what he was talking about, and her eyes widened as she sat down. "Whether I liked it or not, I understood that it was okay to seek help, and I shouldn't have said those things to you." Pyrrha was about to relax until she saw that Jaune's gaze hardened. "However, that doesn't mean that it excuses you all for treating me like a child. Yes, I was taken. Yes, I killed, and yes, I did acquire some new… quirks." Ren and Nora looked at Pyrrha for answers, but she didn't say anything. The champion knew that Jaune was talking about what happened in the parking lot. She then noticed that Jaune's hand was tightening around his glass. "The moment I came back, I was treated like Vomit Boy, again, the person who couldn't handle anything let alone his stomach." He then propped his elbow up and pointed at his partner. "Did any of you ever take a moment to THINK and realize that if I was still that indecisive, would I be here right now?" Nora flinched as he threw his hands up in frustration. "NO! NONE OF YOU DID! I HAD TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF FOR A MONTH WHILE AN ENTIRE CITY WANTED MY HEAD!" Every occupant in the establishment went silent, and all eyes were now on Jaune who stood up from his seat and was now eyeing his team.

"Jau-" Pyrrha tried to say to calm him down but was met with a cold glare.

"I survived," Jaune said as he sat back down in his seat. "I did more than survive. I got better. Worlds better compared to when I started out at Beacon." The team noticed that he was starting to calm down after he took a few more breaths. Nora, for the life of her, swore she saw Jaune's hands turn crimson, as if they were burning, but they soon turn back to their normal color. "Despite how far I've come, you all still see me as a pitiful mess." Ren was about to object to this, but Jaune continued on. "Ever since I got back, none of you asked me how I felt. Most of you asked me if I was okay and practically forced me to tell you all that happened, but you guys never asked how I felt. All you guys cared about were my answers." Jaune took a swig from his water and set it back down. He then got up and gestured for Nora to move, so he could get out of the booth. The bomber reluctantly complied, and Jaune set another Lien card down on the table. "Head back to the school, or stay in Vale, I need some time to myself." Jaune basically ordered, and Pyrrha stood up from her seat.

"But Ozpin-"

"Will not know of anything that happened today. Not the motel room, not the lounge, and definitely not about what happened in the parking lot."

Pyrrha then followed her partner out of the establishment. "What was that?" she asked with confusion as Jaune stopped in his tracks. He chuckled to himself as he realized that in his angry rant, he forgot to explain what his little stunt was. "Your semblance?" she asked, and he turned around. Ren and Nora caught up to Pyrrha and Jaune chuckled a little louder.

"Not in the slightest Pyrrha," he said as he turned back around. "Like I said, take the day off or go back to Beacon. I'll meet you there tonight." Pyrrha still wasn't having any of it, and before she could say anything, Jaune sent her a glare, warning her that she was overstepping her boundaries and that he was having no more of it. With nothing else to say, Jaune turned on his heel and headed further into Vale, leaving his team behind.

Pyrrha stood there for a few moments without saying a word. Nora and Ren remained silent as their leader's words replayed in their heads. Were they really that careless not to ask how Jaune felt when it came to everything that had happened? Looking back on the past day, they could all collectively agree that they didn't.

"So, what should we do now?" Pyrrha asked the others while they all had distraught looks on their faces. Ren said nothing while Pyrrha noticed that Nora dawned a somewhat calm expression. Before either Ren or Pyrrha could say anything, the bomber walked passed the champion.

"Someone has to be with him when he's out in Vale, right?" Nora said as she kept walking. "I'll find him. You two head back to Beacon." Pyrrha was about to say something but felt a hand on her shoulder. She saw that it was Ren, and he gave her a reassuring smile, knowing that Nora would handle it. Pyrrha reluctantly nodded and turned the other way with her teammate, hoping that Nora could find Jaune.

It took about a while to track her leader down, but Nora was able to manage due to asking friendly strangers if they've seen a man who dresses like someone about twice his age. Nora got a solid lead as an old store owner told her that he saw a man with a red sash around his neck enter Junior's nightclub. Nora saw that the sun was setting now and had a foreboding feeling about the whereabouts of Jaune. She arrived at the club and, with a sigh, opened the doors. She was surprised to see that hardly anyone was here except for the security and the DJ despite the loud music booming from the stereo and the flashing strobes of the lights. The security eyed her for a moment but didn't think too much of it due to the lack of weapons on her person. Nora shrugged this off as she eyed the establishment until she saw who she was looking for. She didn't sigh or roll her eyes when she saw Jaune leaning against the bar while talking to the bartender. Instead, she simply made her way to him and sat on a bar stool right next to her leader.

Jaune looked over to her, and he let out a frustrated sigh as he also sat on his stool. Not sure what to say. What the blonde knight didn't understand was that Nora wasn't saying anything. He was expecting her to go off on him or something of the sort, but she was just there in front of him. "If you're wondering, it's just soda," Jaune said while lifting up his drink. "Apparently, Ozpin notified Junior this morning about my rules," Jaune said as he air quoted his last word.

"I never asked," Nora said as she spun a bit on her stool. Jaune quirked an eyebrow at her response but shook it off. He propped his elbow on the bar and rested his cheek in his palm while taking a few sips from his drink. At this point, Jaune had no idea why his teammate was here, and he was a little scared to find out why. After about five minutes of only the music being their company, Jaune was about to say something, but Nora beat him to the punch.

"I'm sorry." Jaune was confused but couldn't say anything due to Nora continuing on. "We didn't just realize that we didn't ask how you felt, and we didn't apologize for acting the way we acted." Nora waved to Junior and asked for a water. "So, I'm saying I'm sorry. I don't know about the others, but we should have known that things would change. Maybe it was because we missed you. I don't really know myself. But with the scars, and the drinking, I don't know. I was worried that we really lost our friend."

Jaune sat there, taking in the words of his teammate and honestly didn't know what to say. She was right that they didn't apologize but the way Nora was acting at the moment, it felt as if she was truly wanting to know his opinion and valued him as more than a leader. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss that feeling.

Before either of them could say anything else, they heard commotion come from the entrance. Jaune and Nora turned around to see that two security guards barricading the door. The effort was mute however as an explosion erupted, and the door flew off its hinges. Jaune winced as he saw the guards fly a few feet back while Nora chuckled. As the smoke cleared, Jaune's face paled as he saw the blonde brawler from team RWBY emerge. He looked to Nora for a second, but she gave him a reassuring thumbs up with a wink.

"Guess who's back?" Yang said cheerfully as she shrugged her shoulders. Jaune was surprised to see the numerous guns aimed at her, but she shrugged it off like it was nothing. He shuddered to think what would happen to all those guards if it was him that they were aiming at.

"You okay?" Nora asked him, and he nodded while shaking the possibility out of his system. He saw Junior go up to Yang, and they were discussing some things. Jaune then saw her drag the bartender back to the bar and where he was sitting. It was too late for him to hide, and Jaune saw Yang's eyes widen when she saw him. She let go of Junior and headed straight towards him with a somewhat angry expression on his face, and before she could say anything, Nora stood in between the two blondes.

"I dragged him along." Nora simply said as she put her hands on her hips. "That and Ozpin already told junior to not serve him any booze." In an instant, the anger coming from Yang subsided, and Jaune let out a sigh of relief.

"Good to hear that," Yang said while smiling. "So, what brings you two here?" Nora waved Yang's question off and laughed a bit.

"Just got to get away from the possessive partners and all. It's healthy for us rapscallions to get into a bit of trouble." The bomber wrapped an arm around Jaune's shoulder and gave Yang a toothy grin. Jaune, on the other hand, was a little startled to realize that he and Nora could really relate to each other.

"I hear that. That's why I brought bluenette with me," Yang said as she gestured to the blue haired transfer student that was still in the entrance way. "We're getting info on a few… unsavory individuals." Jaune's eyes narrowed a bit at this, but Yang shrugged it off. "So, with that being said, I need a little time to my good friend, Junior." Nora nodded at this and Yang went to where the bartender was. Nora and Jaune took this time to finish their drinks and head outside of the club. On their way out, they saw Neptune give them a wave, which they reciprocated in kind. As they made it out of the club Jaune let out a huge breath that he didn't know he was holding in, and Nora laughed in response.

"Words cannot describe the amount of gratitude I have towards you right now," he told Nora.

Nora let out another laugh and looked back at her leader. "Friends stick together, I wouldn't be a friend if I only acknowledged the positives and not the negatives." Jaune looked at her for a moment while she chuckled a bit at this and soon smiled, knowing that this is what he was missing since Columbia, a friend that would look out for him.

Their tender moment was cut short though as Neptune and Yang burst out of the club. Yang had her scroll in her hands, and Jaune could hear a guy on the other end of the line.

"Where are you guys?!" Yang exclaimed as she put her helmet on and revved up Bumblebee. Neptune got on as well. Jaune and Nora still looked confused as ever and were about to say something until they saw Blake and a blonde monkey Faunus being chased by a giant mech at the end of the street.

"I think that was them," Neptune stating the obvious.

"Yeah... I got it." Yang replied as she and Neptune took off down the street, leaving Jaune and Nora to wonder what the hell was that.

"So..." Jaune said as the two were silent for a few moments. Nora eyed her leader, and he smiled back. "Wanna see what that was all about?"

Nora grinned and pressed a command on her scroll. A few seconds later, her rocket locker crashed a few feet away from them, revealing Magnhild. "Honestly, I thought you would rather head back to Beacon," Nora stated while Jaune pulled out his hand cannon and checked the chamber to see if it was loaded. He grinned when he saw it was fully loaded and gave the chamber a spin.

"Rapscallions looking for trouble, remember?" he said, and her grin got wider. With that being said, they made chase and headed towards the path of destruction that the giant robot caused. During their chase, Nora was impressed with how well Jaune was keeping up with her. She assumed that he was channeling his aura in his legs and decided to press on.

* * *

After about ten minutes of running, Jaune looked over to his right and saw that a couple cars were driving onto an onramp that led to a bridge. Said bridge was about to intercept the robot's path, and Jaune smirked at this. He then gestured to Nora and then to the cars, and she grew a devilish grin as well. The two sprinted and leaped onto the roof of the two cars heading up the bridge. Nora saw the wreckage that the robot was causing and had a look of worry when she realized how high up they were. The two of them were now at the peak of the bridge and Nora looked over to Jaune.

"You sure your oka-!" Nora was about to say until she saw that Jaune leapt off the bridge without a hint of hesitation. Nora's eyes widened, and she followed suit with her hammer at the ready. As she dove off after her fearless leader, she noticed that he had his gun drawn and saw that he landed right on top of the Robot's hull. In those moments, he looked up and grinned at the bomber before unloading six deafening shots at point blank range. He then leapt of the robot that waved it's right arm to shake him off, and the blonde knight landed on a nearby car roof. Nora ceased this opportunity to land a solid hit on the robot's arm, and she saw the arm recoil back at the sheer force she inflicted on it. Nora decided that was enough for close range and leapt to another speeding car that was next to Jaune's.

"Armor's thicker than it looks!" Jaune shouted over the hectic noises of battle as he reloaded his revolver.

"That caught me off guard, fearless leader!" she shouted back, and Jaune chuckled at this. He then noticed that behind the rampaging robot, Yang was tailing via motorcycle without Neptune. Jaune chalked this up to being thrown off the highway. He then noticed the look of shock on Yang's face, and he waved at her with his gun in his hand. However, he didn't notice that Blake also witnessed Jaune and Nora's little stunt.

"Mind giving them a little cover?!" Jaune hollered to Nora, and she nodded while shifting Magnhild into its grenade launcher. Numerous shots were hurled across the highway, and Jaune could see some bits of the robot's armor were being knocked off. However, the machine noticed Nora's resistance and slammed a hand down in front of the car that she was riding on. With quick thinking, Nora leapt to the same car Jaune was riding on, and he grabbed her by the wrist, making sure she was safe. Jaune and Nora both watched as the robot rampaged some more, but Jaune noticed a familiar white themed girl drop off an upcoming bridge. He grinned when he saw the road coated in ice. Jaune knew that this was their stop. He gestured to Nora, indicating that it was time to leap off the bridge. What he didn't expect was the worry in her eyes.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, and Jaune chuckled.

"The first rule I learned when I was in Columbia was to never really think." He grabbed his teammate's wrist. "Just act." In those moments, right before the pile up of cars, Jaune and Nora leaped off the car and onto the pavement below the bridge. The two tumbled a bit but soon recovered. Nora took a few breaths to recollect her thoughts, and she looked up to see that Jaune was already on his feet and checking the bullets in his gun.

"How are you not fazed by that?" she asked while Jaune smirked at her and closed the chamber on his revolver.

"Aren't you the girl that rode to the forest temple on an Ursa?" Jaune retorted, and Nora rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean," Nora said while putting her hands on her hips. Jaune twirled the gun around his index finger and turned so he could face the robot that landed a couple dozen feet away from them.

"Your fear of heights basically diminishes when you fight for your life in a city that flies," Jaune replied and saw that Nora's eyes widened a bit. "I'll explain later, now we have friends to help out." Nora turned to the area the robot was in and noticed team RWBY was there, ready to fight. As the two jogged over to their sister team, Nora couldn't help but wonder what Jaune meant by a flying city.

"Need help?" Jaune asked as he ran up to Ruby who had a look of shock as she saw her fellow leader. Jaune and Nora smiled in return.

"Aren't you only to be in Vale if Pyrrha's with you?" Weiss said with a hint of dread in her voice, and Jaune chuckled at this.

"All those rich people classes on manners and you forgot to not look a gift horse in the mouth." Jaune retorted, noticing the annoyance on the heiress's face. "Besides, I have one of my teammates with me." Nora waved, and Weiss gave him a look that said "Really?"

"Isn't that the opposite of supervision?" Weiss said, and Jaune noticed that Nora deflated a little.

"You'd be surprised," Jaune said while giving Nora a reassuring smile. The bomber seemed to be in her chipper spirits again, and Jaune chuckled at this. "So, what is this thing anyway?" Jaune asked, and Blake eyed him, noticing he seemed to not be scared in the slightest.

"Roman is piloting it," Ruby responded, and Jaune mouthed an 'oh' as they all looked back to the robot that was getting up and preparing for battle.

"Well, what are your orders, fearless leader?" Nora asked, and Jaune noticed the irritation growing on Weiss's face. Jaune ignored it and faced his teammate.

"You and I will draw his fire from a distance, circling around him. Ruby and her team will act on her command." Jaune said as he looked to his fellow leader. "Sound good?" Jaune asked, and Ruby loaded a clip of dust rounds into Crescent Rose.

"Sounds good. Freezerburn!" Ruby shouted, and the students scattered while Weiss and Yang created a smokescreen. Jaune and Nora sprinted around the robot in the process of getting into position. Jaune noticed the laser sensors were triggered, and the mech began to stalk around the misty battlefield. Jaune also noticed that team RWBY were darting around attempting to confuse it. Once Jaune and Nora reached around and met up with one another behind the mech, the two smiled and opened fire. Just as planned, the mech turned around so that Ruby and her team could close in on the kill. Jaune and Nora jumped to the side as Roman fired a few blasts of energy their way. Once they recovered, they repeated the process. Dodging oncoming attacks while attacking at a range. Thought Nora didn't know this, but Jaune was grateful that he had a heavy hitter such as Nora with him in this fight. Ren and Pyrrha were known for their skill but not so much in raw power. That's where their bomber came in handy.

While the mech was being distracted by a combo from Blake and Weiss, Nora and Jaune ceased this moment and charged forward while Nora built momentum in Magnhild that was now in its hammer form. Jaune following suit with a knife he kept on his person. Jaune grabbed a few exposed wires, sliced them open, and soon grinned as he saw his teammate slam her hammer right into one of the joints of Roman's mech. In an attempt to deal with the two of them, the mech slammed one of its hands into the concrete where Nora and Jaune were. The bomber jumped up with her leader in tow and used the arm to climb onto the hull of the machine, soon noticing that Yang was accompanying them and currently firing into the hull.

"Need a hand?" Nora asked and Yang smirked. The three proceeded to slam on the machine until Roman ceased an opening and activated the thrusters on the mech so that it would ram into a nearby pillar. Jaune saw that Yang would be caught on the receiving end and in an instant, the blonde knight grabbed Yang by the shirt.

"What are y-?!" Yang was about to protest until Jaune threw the brawler off the charging machine and the two teammates braced for impact. Once Roman's mech made contact, the two were hurled off the machine and left Jaune in a daze due to some of the debris from the pillar hitting him in the temple. Jaune could barely hear the muffled cries calling his name in the background, and, before he could get up, he felt the earth tremble. Jaune looked up and his eyes widened with unadulterated fear.

He was no longer underneath a massive overpass in downtown Vale. Nora and team RWBY weren't with him as he now found himself in a damaged building that resembled a grand hall of sorts. What stood before him wasn't a mech being controlled by an infamous arms dealer. No, what stood before him now was a hulking winged beast that let out a squealed howl of triumph. The beast leaned forward so it could get a better look of Jaune and his blood ran cold when he saw the light in its eye turn red. The monster's fist equipped with barbed claws was reeled back, and Jaune put his hand in front of himself so he could brace for the attack. In those last moments where the monster's fist was a few feet away, he saw the back of a woman get in the monster's way. Her short brunette hair was all he could see as the blue and white themed woman blocked him from the attack.

"NO!" Jaune heard her say in those final moments. What caused Jaune to be confused as well as terrified was that it wasn't her voice. It was a familiar voice that he knew very well but it wasn't HERS.

Jaune blinked, and he was back in Vale. He was on the pavement, looking up at the mech that Roman was piloting, deliver a massive punch to his teammate, Nora Valkyrie, who got in the way of the mech and Jaune. Time slowed as he saw that the machine aimed its punch right in her chest and he could see in those quick moments, the look of agony that formed on Nora's face.

Time seemed to resume as normal as the bomber was launched across the lot, tumbling violently until she skidded to a halt, face down and not moving. Jaune's senses came back to him, and his eyes widened. He shot to his feet and proceeded to sprint to his still friend.

"NORA!" he screamed as he headed in her direction, only to be stopped by the hulking arm of the mech. He turned towards Roman with a look of unadulterated fury and drew his revolver, unloading shot after shot in the hull. Jaune aimed for the weak spots and saw that his bullets were penetrating the armor, the cries coming from Roman were proof of that. "Ruby!" he called out to see that the Rose's team went still since Nora's action to protect Jaune. The blonde knight saw that Ruby snapped out of whatever funk she was in and looked at him. "Distract it while I get Nora!" he shouted and dove out of the way when Roman forced the mech's arm to swipe at Jaune. Ruby and her team did so as they laid waste to the robot with an onslaught of projectiles. Jaune took these moments to reach his teammate.

"No no no no!" Jaune said as he slid to Nora's side. He slowly turned her over on her back, and he gasped a bit. She was bruised and scratched to hell, and he noticed a few broken bones. "Don't die on me," he said as he put his two fingers to her neck to check for a pulse. He knew that Nora was powerful, but he was told by Ren that her aura was weaker than most and could easily shatter. Jaune prayed to whatever being was out there that she would make it through this.

His eyes widened, and his heart shattered when he didn't find a pulse.

"Nora. No. NO!" Jaune screamed. The punch must have shattered her aura and stopped her heart upon impact. Jaune's mind raced as he began to do compressions on his teammate. He could hear the sounds of battle occur in the distance but he kept on trying to save his teammate.

 _"Now this is a sight to behold,"_ Jaune growled as he heard the familiar voice in his head.

"FUCK OFF! Twenty-six, twenty-seven." Jaune shouted and soon returned to counting compressions.

 _"You know I was right this whole time,"_ the voice said, ignoring Jaune's outburst. _"The minute you came back, shit started hitting the fan for everyone. Your father hates you. Even more, your team and your friends don't trust you, and now, the one person that not only saw her mistakes and made amends, but also valued your friendship. The one that could relate to being undermined and not level headed, is now dead because you decided to chase that robot. How do you think your team is going to react to this?"_ Jaune was beyond furious at this point. So much, that he forgot how many compressions he gave Nora. He checked her pulse and still nothing. But he couldn't help but feel that the voice was right. He looked up to see the fight still raging on and noticed that Ruby and Blake were able to take an arm off the mech. _"You couldn't even compete with Ruby when it comes to leadership. At least her team survives after a fight."_ Jaunes fists tightened and instead of turning red, their color grew a bit purple.

"Shut up," Jaune growled.

 _"What kind of hero leaves their friends to pick up after their messes and in turn ends up getting them killed?"_ The purple hue in Jaune's hands deepened and crystals started to form.

"Enough," Jaune growled a bit louder as he slowly looked up to his teammate who was still as could be. He also noticed the color draining from her face. What he didn't notice were the sparks flickering around his hands.

 _"You think Beacon will welcome you back after this?"_ the voice replied. _"Ren is going to hate you with every fiber of his being, not to mention Pyrrha. I can see it now. Your partner is going to give you the same expression she gave you the night before she left!"_ Jaune had enough and let out a roar to drown out the voice in his head.

"ENOUGH!" Jaune screamed as he slammed his hands down on Nora's chest, not knowing that lightning from the shock Jockey was wrapped around his arms. As soon as Jaune made contact with Nora, the lightning surged all over Nora and was somehow absorbed into her system, in turn a little color came back to her face. Jaune's eyes widened as he saw this, and he smacked himself for being so idiotic. He took another breath and brought forth the vigor he needed. The indigo colored crystals appeared once more, and he brought his hands together. He heard the crackling intensify, and he prayed that this worked. This was all he could muster, and he hoped that this would bring his friend back. Without a moment to lose, Jaune put his hands slightly above Nora's chest and as close to her heart as possible. With a cry, he pressed down and flooded her system with his electricity, attempting to jump-start her heart.

Nora gasped at this and took in a deep breath as her eyes shot open. Jaune let out a breath of relief as he saw his teammate slowly get up.

"Jaune?" she asked, still in a daze, Jaune was about to answer until he noticed the electricity he used to surround her aura and it was now in a pinkish hue. Jaune grew confused at this and he looked down to his scroll to see that it was vibrating like crazy. He opened it and saw that his notification for his team's aura levels was going off. Jaune checked and his eyes widened as he saw her aura exceed her contained bar.

"Nora!" he shouted with happiness in his voice and he put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he was worried at to what she would say as he helped her up to her feet. Nora looked to the ground next to her and saw her weapon laying there. She was about to reach for it, but the moment she held her hand out, a bolt of electricity shot out and enveloped her weapon, causing it to fly into her hand. Both were shocked, to say the least when they saw this and Nora smiled.

"l feel… amazing." She said as her eyes widened. Jaune noticed that sparks were also flickering a bit in her irises. Last time he checked, jump starting a person's heart doesn't do that. The two of them looked to the battle and Nora grew a devilish grin on her face. Before Jaune could interject, Nora bolted from her position and gained enough speed to launch herself towards the mech. Jaune could see trails of pink lightning coming off her and with her hammer reeled back. Jaune and the others witnessed Nora slam Magnhild into the front of Roman's mech, the swing being so fast that the strike created a sonic boom. Jaune stood there in disbelief, unable to comprehend what he just witnessed. Nora had hit the robot so hard that it shattered upon impact, causing Roman to stumble out of the debris. While this occurred, Jaune ran up to the others and aimed his revolver at Torchwick who was mumbling to himself. Before Jaune could fire a single bullet, Nora raced towards the arms dealer and swung her hammer once more. This time however, Roman shattered into tiny pieces.

The group of students heard a bullhead being taken off, and they looked up to see their target fleeing the scene via airship. Ruby's team opened fire but to no avail. Nora was about to pursue, but she was stopped by Jaune who grabbed her shoulder. She gave him a questioning look, and he shook his head. As he did this, the lighting surrounding her aura faded, and her eyes returned to their normal teal state. Jaune let out a choked laugh as he realized that Nora was safe.

"I am so sorry," Jaune said in between his combination of a laugh and a sob. He put his other hand on Nora's reciprocating shoulder and his shoulders buckled. "I should have moved, I-!" he was now the one to be cut off as he was brought into Nora's embrace. He said nothing as he felt her give him a tight hug, not a crushing hug, but one that signified that she was more than thankful.

"You would have done the same," Nora said in a calm voice. Before Jaune could say anything else, he felt Nora's body go limp. He pulled back and saw that Nora collapsed in his arms. Panic flooded through his body as he set her down. However, in those moments right before he was about to check for her pulse again, he saw her smile and noticed her chest moving up and down in a steady pattern. He let out a sigh as he realized that she was drained. He then looked to Ruby and her team and noticed that they were silent in those moments that Nora and Jaune shared. He then smiled at them and let out a chuckle. "I could use some help," he said as he saw that Weiss was dialing for an ambulance.

* * *

An hour passed since the battle, and Jaune was able to get Nora back to Beacon via medical bullhead. Once the bullhead landed, Jaune and the other EMTs brought Nora to the Beacon infirmary. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang decided to inform Ozpin and split off from Nora and Jaune. Once they got to the infirmary, the doctors ran a few tests on Nora while Jaune was forced to stay out in the waiting room. Twenty minutes passed until a doctor came out of to give Jaune the results.

"How is she?" Jaune asked, worried beyond belief. What made it worse was that he couldn't tell what the doctor was going to say.

"She's bruised severely around her ribcage, and she suffered a bit from exhaustion." Jaune let out a sigh of relief at this but tensed when the doctor continued. "We also noticed that for some time, her heart stopped due to the pattern of the beats. From the report you gave us, you said that her heart stopped, and you resuscitated her via heart compressions?" Jaune nodded while the doctor gave him a skeptical look before chuckling. "Well, either you had lightning in your hands or the friction from the compressions caused enough to spark her semblance." Jaune grew confused at this.

"Semblance?" he asked and the doctor gave him a questioning look.

"Yes. She's able to absorb electricity and use it to enhance her aura, in turn, helping her healing factor." Jaune was surprised, to say the least, as he thought back to those moments when he slammed his lightning infused hands on her. That was a massive amount of electricity he gave her, so that explained how she was that powerful during the fight. The doctor caught his attention once more with a short cough. "Either way, you saved her life. She's currently sleeping, but you can go and see her." Jaune thanked the doctor before heading into her room.

He saw that she was hooked up to a few machines, and she was covered in bandages. Silence filled the room as he sat in a nearby chair, looking at her slumbering form and feeling happy that he was able to save her, yet guilty that he was the one that put her here in the first place. He thought back to how he blew her and the rest of his team off earlier today which made him thump the back of his head against the wall. How was he this stupid?

The door opened, and Jaune saw that it was a nurse that was setting some food down for Nora. Jaune leaned forward and saw that she was a Faunus due to the dog tale that she had. He didn't care in the slightest whether she was a Faunus or not but felt happy that there were people looking out for his injured teammate. The nurse was about to exit before her eyes widened right at Jaune. The leader was confused at this and became more confused as she darted right at him.

"Have you gotten this checked out?" the nurse said as she examined an area along with his temple. He was about to object to this sudden gesture but winced in pain as he felt a stinging sensation on the side of his right temple. The nurse sighed at this and opened a drawer that had a few bandages in it. "This will do for now, but be sure to check this out before you leave."

Jaune nodded as the nurse wrapped the bandage around his head. "Thank you," Jaune said. The nurse nodded her head and left, leaving Jaune with his thoughts again.

"Mmmm." Jaune noticed that Nora was stirring, and he saw her eyes open. "Jaune?" she asked mildly confused.

Jaune let out a sigh of relief as he walked up to her side. "Hey," Jaune replied. She gave him a medicated induced smile, which in turn made Jaune laugh a bit. "You're at Beacon infirmary. We got you home."

Nora slowly nodded at this. "I had the weirdest dream," she said while rubbing one of her eyes. "We were fighting a giant robot, and you and I fought it with team RWBY."

Jaune chuckled a bit at this and nodded. "Well, it did happen, and you took it out in one swing," Jaune replied, and Nora's eyes widened in excitement. That excitement turned to confusion though as she looked around the room.

"Where's Ren and Pyrrha?" she asked. That question threw Jaune off guard. Where were they? Training? Sleeping? That being said, Jaune had no idea what time it was. He checked his scroll and it was reading 11:00 P.M.

"I actually don-" Jaune was cut off as the door was slammed open. Due to pure protective instinct, Jaune quickly turned and drew his revolver, not knowing that he was aiming it right at Ren's head.

"Shit!" Jaune said as he quickly holstered his weapon. "Sorry." Jaune noticed that Ren ignored him and went straight to Nora's side.

"Hey, Renny," Nora said as her partner knelt by her side. Jaune could see the exhaustion and worry in his eyes.

"Nora, what happened?" this for some reason, made Nora giggle as if she was a little girl, Jaune assumed that it was the drugs.

"Our fearless leader jumped off a bridge and later saved my life," Nora spouted with a cheeky grin on her face. Ren went silent at this, and Jaune folded his arms.

"What?" Jaune heard a voice behind him say. Jaune turned to the person standing in the doorframe and gave her a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, Pyrrha," he said with a chuckle. She gasped a bit as she saw the bandage wrapped around his head. "Oh, this is nothing, just a scratch," he said while gesturing to his temple.

"We just heard that Nora was hospitalized from team RWBY," Pyrrha said as she took a few steps inside the room and looked at her teammate.

"Yeah," Jaune said as he also looked at Nora. "Doctor said she had severe bruising and suffered a bit of aura exhaustion. A bit of rest and she'll be fine." Jaune said.

"What happened?" Ren growled as he got up and eyed Jaune. Pyrrha was shocked to see the amount of malice in Ren's voice, though Jaune stood his ground.

"Apparently team RWBY was being pursued by Roman Torchwick via mech," Jaune said as he sat down. Looking at his usually stoic teammate. "Nora and I decided to help out. We got the mech off the highway and below the bridges. During the fight, Nora took a hit for me and her…" Jaune looked up to Ren and saw the rage slowly boiling in his eyes. "heart stopped." Jaune immediately got up and saw that Ren had rushed towards him with his fist reeled back. In those moments Jaune drew his weapon and once more aimed it at Rens' head. The two were in a stalemate while the other two were silent. "I wasn't finished," Jaune said calmly as he slowly set his weapon down. Ren seemed to calm down as well, and Jaune continued on. "I was able to save her. Apparently, the friction caused by me giving her compressions caused her semblance to activate and jump start her aura. We finished the fight, and I got her back here as soon as possible." Ren sat across from Jaune now as Pyrrha was shocked by both the standoff between the two teammates and the story Jaune told them.

"You froze again didn't you?" Ren said flatly. Jaune didn't respond to this and Ren got up, furious again. "YOU GOT HER HURT!" Jaune didn't react to this. Ren was about to go on but he felt his hand being grasped. He turned to Nora and noticed the hurt look in her eyes.

"He would have done the same," was all the bomber said, and Ren looked at her, shocked at the amount of confidence she had in her voice when she told him this. Nora then glanced over to her leader. "He's our fearless leader after all." The room was enveloped in silence for a few moments before they all heard stifled laughter. Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha saw that Jaune was doing his best not to chuckle but he was failing miserably. Jaune continued to laugh for a bit before Nora joined in. Apparently, the goofy look she was showing made Ren reluctantly laugh a bit as well. Pyrrha had no idea what was going on but she soon couldn't help but laugh along. Within a few moments, the entire team was genuinely laughing, putting aside their struggles for a few moments to truly cherish the fact that their family was truly back together.

 **HELL YEAH! TENSION! BONDING! VIOLENCE! DEATH! WE GOT IT ALL HERE! This was a difficult chapter to write but enjoyable nonetheless. Once again, shout out to Firestorm808 for joining me on this journey and I hope we can get more chapters out soon. With that being said, drop a comment or a review and as always beautiful people, be compassionate and BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 and FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Another chapter! YAY! I've been on a roll due to school starting tomorrow so I wanted to get another chapter of Tears of the Mind out before I get back to slaving over schoolwork. Anyways, thanks goes out to Firestorm808 for helping me out with this chapter and if you haven't checked out his work, I recommend doing so, He's got good material and his grammar is leagues better than mine. All humor aside for a second, I don't own RWBY or Bioshock Infinite, If I did, I would have probably run those franchises into the ground. they belong to their respective owners. ENJOY!**

Chapter 7

Aftermath and Slip-ups

Grey clouds loomed over Vale and Beacon as the day soon began. Soreness was apparent on the blonde knight as he groaned while getting up from his shallow slumber. After the fight with Roman underneath the bridge, he was forced to undergo a physical examination to see if he was hurt at all. The only injuries he sustained were a few bruises and a gash on his right temple, nothing to really put him intensive care. With a few bandages and some ointment to help relieve the pain, he was allowed to leave the infirmary and headed straight to his bed. Jaune looked around in somewhat of a dazed state as he realized that he was the only one in the room.

"Must be checking on Nora," He said to himself as he looked at his nearby clock. The clock read that it was 9:00 AM, the same time when the infirmary opens up. He shuddered a bit as he remembered what happened the night before and the way that his teammate was flung across the lot. He hated to compare that event, but it reminded him of how he would launch the extremists off the edges of Columbia and how limp they would get when they plummeted to their deaths.

He shook his head, ridding himself of the memories and sat on one side of the bed, eyeing his hand cannon on his desk. If the fight last night was any indication, he needed another weapon. Crocea Mors was his go to when it came to close combat, but he gave that back to his bastard of a father. He had an idea for a weapon, but he was going to need some help.

After coming to that conclusion, Jaune sat silently on the side of his bed as he heard rain starting to tap rapidly against the window. He looked up from his dazed state, and he got up off his bed. He then went to the window and looked out over Beacon, seeing the Kingdom of Vale in the far distance. Storm clouds enveloped from all around, and Jaune couldn't help but shudder at the draft that trickled down his spine. Before he was about to draw the drapes, he saw a flash of a lightning. It startled him, to say the least, but he soon noticed that the clouds illuminated by a bright flash. Seconds later, another bolt of lightning occurred, and Jaune's breath hitched as he saw the silhouette of that same winged monster that plagued both the sky and his mind. Just as fast as it emerged, the silhouette disappeared, and Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose while covering the window with the curtains.

"Losing my goddamn mind," Jaune muttered as he went to his closet. His usual attire was being cleaned and pressed at the school laundromat at the moment, so he decided to opt for the casual hoodie and jeans. He would have to admit that it was a different feeling, though not unwelcoming. What felt foreign, however, was the fact that his armor plate on his chest was missing. He sighed as he remembered ditching the armor due to the number of dents and holes that made it hard for him to breathe. In a way, he missed that old feeling, like it didn't feel right if he just wore the hoodie and nothing more. Nonetheless, he decided that this outfit would suffice. Not to mention Pumpkin Pete on the front of it would definitely get a laugh from Nora.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Jaune nearly shrieked as a sudden knock at the door erupted from the silence. He was grateful that he didn't have his gun in his hand or else he would most likely be questioned by Goodwitch on how there were bullet holes in their door. Jaune went over to his dresser and strapped his holster around his waist, followed by pocketing his scroll and a pack of cigarettes. He then opened the door, and his eyebrows rose when he saw that it was all of Team RWBY standing out in the hallway.

"Hey, guys," Jaune said somewhat confused, not knowing why the four of them were outside his door.

"Hey, Jaune," Ruby said somewhat sheepishly. "How's Nora doing?" Jaune smiled at this, happy that they were caring about her well-being.

"The doctor is keeping close tabs on her heart at the moment, but she'll be let out tomorrow so she can go to class," Jaune replied. He saw the entire team somewhat ease up when he told them this. "I was actually on my way there now, want to come with?" Jaune asked, and while Weiss was somewhat reluctant on the matter, the rest of her team nodded and followed him down the hall.

"Sorry that we kinda got in the way last night," Jaune said to Ruby as he had his hands in his pockets. His response was Yang chuckling at his apology. Jaune raised an eyebrow in confusion, and the brawler shook her head.

"We're the ones that need to apologize," Blake spoke up, and Jaune turned his head to her. "Not just for dragging you two into our mess, but also for pushing you the day you got back." Jaune looked at her with confusion, but he saw that her expression explained that she could relate in some way. He decided not to think too hard on the matter, and he smiled at them.

"Thanks," Jaune replied as he eyed his fellow leader. "However, if you really want to make it up to me, you could help me out with something, Ruby." Ruby grew a little startled at Jaune's words, and he snickered at her. He looked back to his fellow leader's team and saw the confusion growing on all of them. "If last night was any indication, this guy isn't going to cut it on its own." He patted his holster that housed his hand cannon, and he noticed that Ruby was eyeing it with curiosity. "I'm going to need another weapon. I have a design of what I want to do, but I'd rather have a professional create it," he smirked at Ruby when he said this, and the rose gasped with excitement.

"YES! YES! YES!" Ruby exclaimed, and Jaune laughed at her antics while the others smiled. As they made their way to the infirmary, however, Yang was eyeing Jaune from a slight distance, not wanting to dwell on it anymore, she decided to speak up.

"Pretty ballsy moves you pulled last night Vomit Boy," Yang chided, and Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose when she said that accursed nickname. "Didn't know you had it in you." Ruby and Weiss were confused by this, but Yang saw that her partner gave her a knowing look, explaining that she saw the blonde knight's stunt as well.

"What are you talking about Yang? All he did was distract the robot during the fight." Yang's eye twitched at Weiss's question.

"Well, you're not the only one who swan dived off a bridge last night ice queen," Yang said with a smirk, which caused Ruby to go wide eyed. "Color me surprised when he and Nora dived onto the thing." Weiss's eyebrow twitched in irritation when she heard this, and Jaune rubbed the back of his head.

"You guys needed the thing to be distracted, and that's what we did," Jaune said, trying to play off the compliment while looking at Weiss. The heiress huffed at this, and Jaune seemed to shrug off her annoyance.

"Not to mention throwing Yang off the mech," Blake mentioned, and Jaune chuckled a bit.

"You know I could have taken the hit right." Jaune irked a bit when Yang said this. He honestly didn't know that. He looked back to the brawler and shrugged.

"It was a knee-jerk reaction. Sorry," Jaune apologized. Yang playfully blew off his apology but eyed him suspiciously.

"Either way, you two helped out immensely so you have our thanks," Ruby said with gratitude in her voice.

"Well, you can say that to Nora as well when we get there. She deserves thanks more than I do." Jaune felt a little down as he said this, knowing that it was his fault that she got hurt in the first place. The others saw this as well and decided to not dwell on it. They soon made it to the infirmary and checked in so that they could go see their injured friend. Once they reached the room, Jaune knocked the door and opened it. As he and the others entered the room, they saw that Nora was still bandaged up but was in much higher spirits. She was talking Ren's ear off while Pyrrha was residing on the opposite side of the room, going through her scroll to pass the time. The three of them looked up, and Jaune noticed that Nora was the only one smiling at his presence. That smile turned into a stifled laugh.

"Good to see you, Nora," Jaune said as he sat in a nearby chair. At this point, almost everyone was confused due to Nora now laughing wholeheartedly while pointing at Jaune.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" she said in between laughing while pointing to Jaune's hoodie. Everyone soon noticed what the blonde knight was wearing, and Jaune smirked as he saw his partner cringe at the sight of Pumpkin Pete plastered on his hoodie.

"Knew it would make you laugh." Jaune smiled as he went over to Nora and patted her head. Her laughter turned to pouting as he did this, and it was his turn to chuckle.

"How are you holding up," he asked, and Nora gave him a so-so gesture with her left hand.

"Meh, pretty sore. Also starting to get bored. Ren made me pancakes already, but I still feel riled up." Jaune smiled at this, knowing that his teammate was going to be fine.

"That's a good thing," Jaune said. "Shows that you're getting better." Nora rolled her eyes at this.

"Still don't know why the doc keeps checking my heart. I mean I'm fine now. Just some bruising," Nora said, and Jaune saw that Ren was stepping in with his protective nature once more.

"He just wants to make sure so nothing happens when you leave." Nora rolled her eyes at this, but Ren seemed to brush it off. "Speaking of which," Ren said as he stood up and looked at his leader, "What were you two even doing at Juniors club yesterday?" Jaune looked at Nora who shrugged her shoulders. Jaune smirked at her and looked back to Ren.

"Just the rapscallions looking for trouble," Jaune replied, and he saw Ren's eyes narrow at him while Nora giggled. Jaune didn't even pay attention to Pyrrha due to already knowing that she and Ren had the same expression on their faces.

"Jaune can I talk to you for a minute?" he heard Ren say. Jaune internally sighed, somewhat knowing that this most likely wouldn't end well. Either way, Jaune nodded and followed Ren out of the room. The leader turned back to Nora and gave her a thumbs up and a wink, trying to tell her that things were alright. She smiled at this, and he soon headed out.

The two were now a few yards away from Nora's room, sitting on a nearby bench. The stainless white walls surrounded them as they heard the echoes of doctors and nurses talking down the hall. The two didn't say anything for a minute before Jaune spoke up.

"Haven't really talked about this yet. Due to the chaos of last night" Jaune started as he looked at Ren. "You know I never intended for her to get hurt," he continued while he folded his hands in his lap. Ren said nothing while Jaune eyed him and decided to go on. "And you know that I would've done anything for this situation to be in reverse." Jaune saw that Ren was looking at him with a conflicted expression.

"Do I?" Ren asked as he leaned back a bit. "I understand that things have changed, and I am accepting that you welcome more trouble in your life much more than you used to, but I can't help but feel angry that you dragged another person into your antics." Jaune's eyes narrowed at this. "I'm sorry Jaune, but Nora is my friend and right now apparently the only one that I can trust," Ren said, and he soon gained a look of irritation as he saw that Jaune was chuckling.

"Funny. Cause I could say the same thing," Jaune said as his tone grew more serious as he finished his sentence. Ren was about to reply, but Jaune stood up and rubbed his neck. "She actually went out of her way to apologize to me you know." Ren grew confused at this, and Jaune turned towards him. "When she saw me at the bar, she didn't ask me if I was drinking or anything. She sat there and genuinely apologized to me. She didn't press on, she didn't bring up unwanted memories, she was just there. Even after I yelled at you all." Ren noticed as Jaune said this, his gaze softened, no longer holding a cold exterior. "You know why I accepted her apology, Ren?" Jaune waited for a response but soon realized he wasn't going to get one as Ren just looked at him. "Because she didn't want her leader back, she wanted her friend back." That certainly caught the usually stoic ninja off guard. He looked at Jaune, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose, thinking of what to say next. "And I didn't come back to be leader again. I came back because I thought my friends missed me. I was somewhat right. Nora is proof of that. She didn't give up on me, and I certainly didn't give up on her when I got her heart beating again," Jaune said, leaving Ren silent for a few moments. Jaune then headed over to his teammate and offered his hand. "I hope Nora isn't the only friend I get back." Ren looked at his leader and saw him smirking. Ren stood up and grasped Jaunes hand, giving it a firm shake.

"On two conditions," Ren said, and Jaune had a slight look of irritation forming on his face. "You and I spar in combat class. No weapons, no semblances, just a regular spar." Jaune thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"And secondly?" Jaune asked. Ren let out a sigh, knowing that he most likely wouldn't get a solid answer.

"What did you see when you froze during the fight last night?" Ren asked. Jaune remained silent, and Ren continued on. "I don't want context nor a long explanation. Just why you froze. I heard how you took on the Ursa, despite your disadvantage in size and strength, you charged in without a second thought. So, what did you see that made you freeze?" Jaune looked at his feet for a second while closing his eyes. Ren noticed the distraught look forming on Jaune's face, indicating that he was bringing back bad memories. In a way, Ren could relate.

"A monster," Ren heard Jaune say. Ren was a little shocked to hear the fear drip with each word. "Something I never want to see again." The two stood there for a few moments before Ren put a hand on Jaunes shoulder, snapping the leader out of his funk. "Thanks," Jaune said, and Ren nodded. The two soon headed back to the room, all while Ren was wondering what Jaune meant by that monster.

The two of them entered Nora's room and saw that all eyes were on them. "You two okay now?" Nora asked while suspiciously eyeing Ren. Jaune saw this and chuckled.

"Yeah. We're good," Jaune said with a smile. Nora seemed happy about this, and Ren couldn't help but smile as well. An hour passed as the two teams shared stories and idly talked to one another until Nora let out a yawn, indicating that she was getting sleepy despite it still being morning.

"We should let you get some rest," Jaune said, and Nora groaned due to soon being left to the boredom.

"I'll stay and keep her company," Ren offered, and Nora squealed with delight.

"My hero," she said while wrapping her partner in a tight hug. Jaune laughed a little harder than expected as he started to see Ren's face turn blue due to lack of oxygen.

"Sounds good," Jaune said as everyone was getting ready to leave. Before Jaune could head out the door, Nora spoke up.

"Actually Jaune, could I talk to you?" Jaune nodded, and Nora eyed everyone else. "ALONE?" everyone jumped at the bombastic way she emphasized her question, and they soon filed out of her room, leaving the two alone.

"What's this about?" Jaune asked, and Nora giggled.

"Don't worry. I'm just curious about a few things." Jaune raised an eyebrow at this but let Nora go on. "Jaune, the doctor told me that you brought me back because of my semblance. How?" she asked genuinely, and Jaune froze for a split second. "No one besides Ren knows about it and I guess Pyrrha, now, but that's it." Jaune stood there for a moment before shrugging.

"The doctor told me the friction caused by giving you compressions gave you a static charge. Strong enough to overcharge your aura. I didn't know about your semblance. I just tried to bring you back." Jaune smiled as he said this last part, and Nora nodded. "Anything else?" Jaune asked, and Nora nodded.

"Jaune. What did you mean by a flying city?" Jaune made a loud irking noise as she asked this, and her eyes narrowed. "You told me after we jumped from the bridge that you were used to doing that due to fighting in a city that flies." Jaune was conflicted as Nora asked this. If he was being honest with himself, he was terrified that she wouldn't believe him and just think he was crazy. On the other hand, the look on her face showed that she would know if he was lying or not.

"I meant that I was trapped in a city that was in the sky," Jaune told her as he sat down next to his friend's bed. Nora's eyes didn't widen nor did she say anything, and Jaune saw this as for him to go on. "When I woke up, I was restrained to a chair. Usually, you would think that this would mean torture. But instead of that, I heard a voice counting down and when it hit zero, the pod I was in rocketed into the clouds. For a few moments, I honestly thought I would die via explosion or lightning. Instead, I'm welcomed to a sprawling city that was somehow flying." Jaune twiddled his thumbs as he felt sweat start to trickle down his neck. He saw that Nora was still silent, showing no emotion. "There were times where I had to take downright leaps of faith. Not to mention that I had to fight along the edges or while free falling. So, that's what I meant," Jaune said while he could feel that every muscle in his body was tense. He made no eye contact as he braced for any negative reaction, yet nothing came. Instead, he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw that Nora was smiling.

"How did you not throw up every second you were there?" she asked. Jaune saw that it wasn't a joke nor a way of calling him crazy. She actually believed him, and he had no idea how to react. He sat there for a few moments before laughing to himself.

"Let me tell you, I was running to a trash can every five minutes before I got to the raffle." Nora gave him a confused look as he said this, and he waved it off. "That's a story for another time." Nora nodded, and Jaune got up. "If you need anything from me or Pyrrha, we're just a call away," Jaune said as he opened the door.

"Thanks, Jauney." Jaune chuckled at this and gave one last nod before heading out into the hallway. As soon as the door shut Nora's face morphed from happiness to concern as she grasped that area that held her heart. When she was brought back, she could feel it. The one thing that everyone searches for in their lives. Absolute and raw power. She felt it pulse through her, and it was terrifying yet enticing at the same time. The problem was that the stories didn't add up. Jaune said that it was her semblance, but she knew what electricity felt like, static or otherwise. The power she felt last night only flowed through her veins only once before and that was when she discovered her semblance via lightning strike. Nora didn't really know how to describe it, but the electricity she would feel from stun weapons or electric dust felt artificial. But this, this feeling that still hadn't left her was raw and unhinged, just like lightning. So how could she feel a power of this magnitude when Jaune told her that it was static electricity that brought her back? "Whatever the reason," Nora said to herself. "I hope he comes clean about it someday." As soon as she said that, the door opened, and she smiled as her partner walked in, ready and able to help her in any way he could.

Jaune grinned as he saw Ren enter the room and turned back to team RWBY who were waiting patiently for Jaune to come out. The blonde knight noticed that his partner was missing from the group and his fellow leader noticed his concern.

"Pyrrha went back to her room. Saying something along the lines of catching up on homework or something," Ruby said, and Jaune nodded while he scratched the side of his head.

"So, what are your plans?" Jaune asked his sister team, and the others looked at each other.

"Actually, we could work on your weapon if you want?" Ruby asked with excitement. Jaune looked to Ruby's team and saw that Yang and Blake gave him the go ahead while Weiss gave him a cold glare.

"Sure. You're going to have to guide me to the place where you make weapons," he said as he followed Ruby in said direction. "What do they call it anyway? The forge?" this caused Ruby to snicker as she shook her head.

"You know what, I'll let you call it that due to it sounding so much cooler than the Workshop." Jaune chuckled at this and put his hands in his pockets. The two walked in silence for about five minutes before arriving at their destination.

"Here we are," Ruby said as the two entered what seemed to look like a classroom on the outside, but as soon as Ruby opened the door, Jaune was hit with a wave of heat that emitted from the room. Jaune was surprised, to say the least, as he saw that there were a couple students at different workbenches working on various inventions. Jaune snapped out of his dazed state and headed over to Ruby who was at a workbench that had numerous papers and blueprints sprawled all over it.

"Home at last," Ruby said as she let out a sigh of relaxation. Jaune couldn't help but smirk at Ruby when she said this. "So," Ruby said while clapping her hands. "You already have something in mind?" Jaune nodded as he pulled out his scroll. He sent a message to Ruby that had a file attached to it. Ruby pulled out her scroll and opened the file. Jaune could see her eyes widen and soon narrow in an analytical fashion. She was silent for a few minutes before looking at Jaune. "I may take some liberties. Add my own little touch, but nothing too insane. Though I gotta ask, where did you get this design?" Jaune then pulled out his hand cannon and opened up the chamber.

"Same place where I got this." Ruby's eyes widened and said no more. she knew that his disappearance was a sore subject so she didn't dwell on it. She was about to say something until everyone heard the intercom turn on. the machines were soon turned off so that they could hear what was about to be said.

"Would Jaune Arc come to Headmaster's office? Jaune Arc to the Headmaster's office," everyone heard the announcer say before the intercom was turned off. Jaune rolled his eyes and soon after pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Three for three now," Jaune muttered.

"I can handle it from here," Ruby said, and Jaune looked at her. "Sounds important." Jaune nodded, and before he walked out of the room, he gave Ruby a thankful smile. Ruby waved it off and got to work while the blonde headed over to Ozpin.

"Wonder what he has to say this time?" Jaune said to himself as he walked down the massive hall. Some students were also walking about, and he couldn't help but notice that a few were eyeing him every once and a while. "Looks like that fight with Pyrrha really had some impact," he muttered as he picked up his pace. He hated the feeling of being watched. It reminded him of the time in Columbia when he was trying to get tickets to Paris. All eyes were on him, and he began to feel that feeling again.

After a few minutes of walking, Jaune arrived at the base of Ozpin's office and nodded at the receptionist who let him through. The elevator doors opened, and Jaune entered, all while wondering what Ozpin had to say to him now.

 _"Probably had surveillance on you and saw you use your little gift on Nora."_ Jaune folded his arms as he once again heard that voice.

"I won't be surprised if that's the case," Jaune said, actually responding to it without anger, but with a hint of irritation. "I swear if that's it then I'm leaving Beacon. I'm not a weapon for him to use." He heard the voice laugh at this.

 _"That's the ticket!" the voice exclaimed. "No more bullshit, just you, me, and a whole lot of killing and drinking."_ Jaune ignored that comment and shook his head. As he did this, the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.

"Three for three Ozpin," Jaune said casually as he walked up to the headmaster who was sitting at his desk with a mug of coffee in one hand. "I must be making a record for a number of days in a row someone has been to your office." Jaune saw Ozpins almost analytical look scanning him, almost the same way that Ruby scanned the weapon blueprint.

"That just may be Mr. Arc."

Jaune sat down in the chair across from the headmaster, and Jaune shrugged. "I'm guessing this is about last night?" Ozpin nodded, and Jaune slapped his hands on his knees. "Well, what is there to talk about?" Ozpin chuckled as he leaned a bit forward.

"Besides the fact that dozens were injured last night, could you explain this?" Ozpin said as he pulled up a video on his scroll. Apparently, someone saw the commotion happening on the highway and decided to record it. The video also included Jaune and Nora leaping off a bridge right on top of the robot. The video ended abruptly, and Ozpin shut off his scroll. Jaune chuckled at this and leaned back.

"Good times," Jaune quipped, and he saw that the headmaster narrowed his eyes at him.

"Certainly, if one of your teammates was at death's doorstep," Ozpin added on which made Jaune go silent. What Ozpin noticed was that the silence wasn't caused by guilt like usual, but by anger. "Mr. Arc, why did you and Ms. Valkyrie go alone on this little escapade? Even when I said that Ms. Nikos was to be your supervisor?" Jaune sighed as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Pyrrha and I aren't on the same page. Apparently, she still sees me as a kid who has gone far in over his head."

Ozpin chuckled a bit at Jaune's comment. "That may be true, but you can't blame her for her concern." Jaune stood up at this, a little more irritated.

"I'm supposed to be her partner! Someone who she should trust unconditionally. Yesterday, I didn't get that! I got that from Nora!" Jaune exclaimed while throwing his hands in the air. Ozpin remained unfazed by Jaune's outburst. "All she wants is someone to coddle, and I am not that."

Ozpin decided that it was time to speak up. "Perhaps that is true, but perhaps that it is also true that nothing will change if you don't try to make it change. You are certainly capable of change Mr. Arc. The Ursa incident and Columbia are proof enough." Jaune chuckled at this.

"Y'know she held my hand through the Ursa fight as well?" Jaune said as he belted out a frustrated laugh. "When I thought I was finally proving that I belonged here, she was in the background literally controlling me." Jaune then looked back to Ozpin who had a look of understanding on his face. The two remained silent for a bit before Ozpin took a sip of his coffee.

"Think about my words. Can you promise me that Mr. Arc?" Jaune stood there somewhat dumbfounded.

"No punishment for going out without Pyrrha?" Jaune questioned, and Ozpin smirked.

"I think that what you went through last night was punishment enough. That and when your family sees the video." Jaune went somewhat pale when he heard the last part, and Ozpin chuckled. "I'm sure Oobleck will inform you of your mother's reaction tomorrow during your session with him." Jaune let out a frustrated sigh and nodded. As the blonde knight headed towards the open elevator doors, Ozpin stood up. "And Mr. Arc?" Jaune turned back towards the headmaster. "To whom were you trying to prove that you belonged here? Ms. Nikos? Mr. Winchester? Perhaps yourself?" Jaune stood there for a few moments before shrugging his shoulders and heading into the elevator, leaving the headmaster to his devices.

The rest of the day passed quickly and uneventful, just the way Jaune liked it. Although he somewhat dreaded his first meeting with Oobleck tomorrow, he was happy that nothing too big happened today. During his free time, Jaune spent the day on the roof where Pyrrha took him so she could offer her help. Despite being a place filled with bad memories, the isolation felt tranquil and the breeze felt nice. Ten times better than it did when he was in Columbia. Not to mention he could smoke a cigarette or two without anyone getting on his back. The night before really drained him, and he was in need of a little pick-me-up. Aura could work wonders, but he could really feel the boon if he had a little help.

He enjoyed it so much that he actually dozed off and took a nap. When he woke up he saw that it was dusk and he rubbed his eyes to get a grasp of his surroundings. Remembering where he was, he let out a chuckle, knowing that his team was probably wondering where he had gone. He brushed himself off and got up off the wall that he was leaning against. After rolling his neck to get the kinks out of his system, he headed to the door and was about to open it, until he heard frantic footsteps heading towards him. Jaune took a step back and went back to leaning against the wall. Knowing that if he was in the way, there would have been a collision course. He made sure that his pack of cigarettes was hidden and the buts were either squashed or flicked off the roof, he then waited until the person opened the door.

He was a bit surprised to see that his Partner, Pyrrha Nikos, slam the door open and immediately shut it behind her. Jaune saw her lean against the door and silently curse to herself. "Goddammit, Louis," Jaune heard her say under her breath as she straightened her hair, a little tick that she had when she was frustrated with people. The blonde knight internally chuckled and knew that he couldn't pass this opportunity up.

"Boys. Am I right?" Jaune said as he shrugged his shoulders and held back his laughter as he saw his partner get startled by his appearance.

"What are you doing here?" she said in between breaths, and Jaune chuckled.

"Wanted a little alone time. Good view," Jaune replied as he gestured out to the scenery of Beacon. "Oum knows you need it as well." Jaune then gestured to the door, and Pyrrha rolled her eyes.

"He's worse than you trying to romance Weiss," Pyrrha commented, and Jaune smirked.

"I know it's only been a month, but it feels that I've gotten over her for a long time now," Jaune said as he put a thumb to his chin while thinking back to those times. "But yeah I've met privileged, pretentious assholes like him before. It never ends well." Pyrrha couldn't help but feel worried when Jaune chuckled after he said that. "Well," Jaune said as he clapped his hands and took a step away from Pyrrha. "It is clear that you need your privacy. So, I should get going." Jaune grasped his hand on the handle before Pyrrha spoke up.

"Jaune?" said blonde in question turned around to face his partner and noticed the conflicted look on her face. "Could you actually stay for a bit? I want to make sure that Louis is gone before I head back." Jaune looked at her for a moment and he could basically hear the conflict that was about to happen come from a mile away. He was about to decline until Ozpins words dawned on him. Change doesn't happen without the initiative. Perhaps this was the initiative he needed.

"Sure," Jaune said as he walked over to Pyrrha's side and sat down with his legs dangling off the side of the building. Pyrrha followed suit. The two sat in silence for a bit until Pyrrha broke the silence.

"About yesterday," she started and Jaune had to stop himself from groaning. "I can't say I expected all of that to happen." Jaune sat there, now bringing up his legs in a crisscross style, anticipating the lecture he was about to receive. "And I know you won't tell me." Pyrrha looked over to Jaune who somewhat nodded and he saw that Pyrrha closed her eyes in frustration. "But can at least try to make this partnership work?" Jaune looked at her quizzically, not sure what to say. "I know that things have changed but I heard from Nora that you weren't charging in on your own last night. You stuck with her and relied on team based attacks. You understand and value that at least. So, can we at least make an effort on both parts?" Jaune was about to say something, but Pyrrha continued. "I'll try to be more aware of how you feel and not as reactive to the changes you went through, but could you at least try and talk to me? Not about this Columbia place that you keep mentioning, not about your new methods of fighting, just talk to me. Please?" Jaune sat there for a few moments, not sure on how to respond.

 _"_ _You know this is going to end, catastrophically right?"_ Jaune winced as he heard his mind talking to him again. In a way, Jaune agreed. This most likely wouldn't end well. Either she will discover something more such as how he got that power he showed her in the parking lot or probably think he's insane. But despite that, if he did agree to Pyrrha's request and it did go south, he could at least say that he tried.

"Sure." Jaune said. "I mean, things are going to be tough on both our parts, but I think it's worth giving a shot." He saw Pyrrha smile at this and soon faced the view. The two resumed their silence and enjoyed it, knowing that this was a step in the right direction.

"I saw the video that's going viral." Jaune looked at her and she smirked a bit. "Where you and Nora leapt off the bridge onto the mech." Jaune mouthed an 'Oh' and braced for some sort of lecture but nothing came. Instead, she nodded and looked out at the view in front of them. Jaune followed her gaze and noticed the lights illuminating off the towers and buildings. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Pyrrha nudged him, getting his attention. "Weren't you afraid?" she asked and Jaune thought about it for a few seconds before standing up and putting his hands in his pockets.

"Couldn't afford to be afraid. Yang or Blake could have gotten hurt if Nora, and I didn't do anything," Jaune said as he took in a deep breath. "Just like when I took on the Ursa. Cardin needed help and I couldn't afford to feel scared. If I did, then he and I wouldn't be here right now." Pyrrha looked at her partner, and he looked down at her and smirked. "Even if I was, I still would have done it." Pyrrha grew confused at this.

"Why?" she asked, and Jaune chuckled.

"Because no one else would." Pyrrha was left puzzled at that last statement, and he held out his hand to her. "Don't think about it too much. It's getting late, and we got to get ready for classes tomorrow." Pyrrha then eyed him suspiciously.

"You are going to your session with Oobleck right?" she asked, and Jaune rolled his eyes.

"It's either that or have my mom storm the school. I'd rather just deal with an hour of talking than a few days of screaming. Although, I think that last part is inevitable when she sees the video." Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh in sympathy towards her leader. She then took his hand and got up from her spot. The two then headed back down into the hallway, and Jaune made sure to look out for the annoying thorn in their side. Thankfully, Louis was nowhere to be seen, and the two made it back to their room. Jaune noticed that Ren wasn't there and most likely still with Nora. He didn't mind too much, and he got ready for bed, not knowing how tired he actually was. He chalked it up to the fatigue from the fight still in his system.

"You should go to sleep," he heard Pyrrha say as she was now in a red, silk nightgown with her hair let down. "I'll stay up for a bit and make sure Ren gets back. Jaune nodded at this and plopped onto his bed face first. He heard his partner giggle at this, and he closed his eyes.

"Good night Jaune," Jaune heard her say.

Unknown to him due to his drowsy state, he replied. "G'night Elizabeth."

 **Oh Jaune. Jaune Jaune Jaune. Why must you done goof like so? Anyways… Cliffhangers am I right? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I will try to write more when I can, but this will be my first time at a University so the difference between that and a community college may be a little daunting. I won't know until tomorrow. Alright, drop a comment or review and as always beautiful people, be compassionate and BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 and FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright everyone. Just want to say that it feels good to get another chapter out. I want to thank Firestorm808 for helping me out with this and also that I do not own RWBY or the Bioshock franchise. They belong to their respective owners. ENJOY!**

Chapter 8

Missteps in the Healing Process

 _"JAUNE!" Elizabeth exclaimed, snapping the boy out of his daze. He didn't know the reason either, he just stood there for a few moments before realizing where he was. An orange hue illuminated the smokestacks and labor camps that infested the region of Finkton. In the distance, Jaune could hear the pick axes and hammers being smashed down into the salt deposits. Although, that wasn't the only sound that accompanied the extreme winds. Gunshots and rioting flooded his ears as well. Jaune assumed that the noises of labor were the valuable spots in the labor force so those were the areas that were the most protected. Needless to say, things were not good at the moment._

 _That statement was only amplified as he caught up to Elizabeth with a carbine in hand. As he reached her, he saw that there was a glass wall in front of them, and the two were looking at the back of Jeremiah Fink and noticed that a small boy was at the tyrant's side. Jaune was about to slam on the glass to get his attention but soon noticed that the man's posture resembled someone who was panicking._

 _"No! Stop it! No! NO!" Jaune heard Fink exclaim on the other side of the glass while the child in the room was crouching with his ears covered._

 _*BLAM!*_

 _"SWEET OUM!" Jaune exclaimed while Elizabeth gasped as blood, and some of Fink's cranium decorated the glass. Jaune saw Fink slowly slide down the glass wall, only to reveal Daisy Fitzroy with a pistol in her had that had smoke emit from the barrel. The two on the other side of the glass heard the child scream at this and saw him run pass Daisy, who had now wiped the blood from the glass and onto her face. Jaune couldn't help but gag at this, and Daisy's eyes narrowed at him._

 _"The Jaune Arc I knew never turned green at the sight of anything. Accept when he saw Injustice in this cesspool of a city." She then spat at the glass to emphasize her insult and took a few steps back. "Kill the imposters! Burn their bodies when you're done." Jaune and Elizabeth heard her say this over the intercom, and the blonde knight's eyes widened. Not a second later, Jaune heard a few airships that were acquired by the Vox, swoop down with vicious radicals watching them with a sense of sadism and bloodlust in their eyes._

 _"Elizabeth!" Jaune called out. "Get to cover!" she didn't reply as she bolted to a nearby pillar and closed her eyes as she felt the bullets whiz by her. Jaune took this opportunity to open fire as well and internally cheered when he saw one of his bullets from his carbine rip through one of the Vox's skulls. Despite this, Jaune was still too far away to reach them and needed a diversion._

 _"Jaune! Fireman!" Jaune groaned as he heard Elizabeth shout out to him. Of course, things couldn't be easy, first Fitzroy strong-armed him into arming her rebellion, then he found out that Fink had the one guy who could make the weapons, beaten and tortured to death, all to be followed by traveling through a tear and seeing the entirety of Finkton up in smoke and discovering that Fitzroy was insane all along. Jaune was starting to reach his limit with the amount of bullshit that had occurred throughout the day, and he sure as hell was going to let out his anger out on these assholes as soon as they ran out of ammo._

 _He was cut off from his train of thought when he saw a congested ball of magma land right next to him, and Jaune's eyes widened as he saw the glob glow brightly. Without a second to lose, Jaune leaped over the piece of cover he was hiding behind and felt the shockwave of heat as the ball of magma exploded. He then sprinted towards the edge of the platform while shooting at the small airship that had its sights trained on him. The fireman threw another grenade of combusting magma at him and Jaune took a deep breath while he readied his skyhook. With a shaky exhale in an attempt to gain his confidence, Jaune leaped to a nearby skyline. Once he felt the hooks attach, he pressed the lever in the device that made him go at max speed. As Jaune circled around, he saw more extremists start to close in on Elizabeth while the grunts on the airship were focused on him. His eyes narrowed at this and he used his pinky and ring finger to pull the bottom lever on the skyhook which made him switch directions. Once he felt the hooks interlock with the track once more, he took off towards the small airship and found his moment to leap off. As Jaune soared toward his adversaries, he felt the bullets from the Vox Populi speed pass him and even felt one graze his cheek, Jaune had no time to dwell on it nor felt the stinging sensation due to the adrenaline pumping through him. He let out a roar and smashed his skyhook into one of the grunt's skull. He soon felt resistance in the skyhook, but only for a second as he felt the grunt's skull crack. With another yell, Jaune swung the carcass off the edge of the ship and turned to face the other two occupants that included another grunt and the fireman. Jaune activated the shield function on his sheath and charged towards the grunt, ignoring the aching in his arm as the bullets impacted his shield. When he got in range of the grunt and with sharp grunt, Jaune smacked the extremist across the face with his shield and followed through by latching his skyhook around the grunt's neck. Jaune did his best to ignore the strangled cries from the man in front of him and the blonde knight's ears felt at ease when he heard the sound of a neck being snapped._

 _In the corner of his eye, Jaune saw the fireman regain his footing and send another magma fueled explosive towards him. Jaune deflected the projectile with his shield but was knocked back a bit by the explosion, which caused his shield to fly out of his hands and skid to a halt by the fireman's feet. His carbine was also lost due to the explosion knocking it off his person and off into the abyss all around them. Jaune growled at his situation and saw that Elizabeth was being closed in by the Vox on the lower deck of the clock tower. In those moments, Jaune came up with a plan and wished he could find another way to save his friend._

 _"Might as well try it out now," Jaune muttered as his hand felt wet. He looked down to see water slide down his arm, and barnacles sprouted from his hand. Before the fireman or Jaune could react to this, the blonde knight thrusted his hand forward, and he felt a burst of water to erupt from it, causing the fireman to fly off the airship. Jaune took this time to sprint forward while grabbing Crocea Mors and proceeded to jump off the small ship while unsheathing his sword. "SHIT, SHIT, SHIT,SHIT!" Jaune screamed to himself as he closed in on the fireman who was still falling and, in mid-air, thrusted his sword through the fireman's chest. The fireman let out a cry of pain and Jaune saw the mechanisms on the fireman's suit begin to overload as the two plummeted right where Elizabeth was standing._

 _"Look out! Jaune shouted as Elizabeth and the Vox Populi who were surrounding her saw him crash down in the middle of them._

 _"Jaune! What are y-!" Elizabeth couldn't finish her sentence as Jaune got up and grabbed her hand. He then bolted and pulled Elizabeth with him so they could get to cover. Before the Vox could chase them, they noticed a high-pitched squeal come from the body of the fireman. In those short moments, Jaune saw that they wouldn't be able to get out of the blast radius and also saw that his shield mechanism for his sheath was jammed. Taking a deep breath, Jaune grabbed Elizabeth and tackled her to the ground, shielding her from the explosion that overtook both of them. The shockwave sent the two flying a few feet back, and Jaune let out an agonizing cry of pain._

 _"Jaune!" Elizabeth cried as she got up from her faltered position and rushed to her friend. She gasped as she saw that his entire back was singe and charred. The back of his hoodie and armor were non-existent due to the explosion and Elizabeth saw that Jaune was struggling to get up. Thankfully he was still awake, but Elizabeth couldn't help but cringe, knowing that he must have been going through a world of pain._

 _Elizabeth darted her head around, desperate to find anything so that she could help him and soon found a tear that showed numerous first aid kits and bandages. She let out a sigh of relief at this stroke of good luck while she took a breath and opened the tear. As she ran up to the plethora of medical supplies, she noticed that the blast from the fireman singed and utterly disintegrated nearly every Vox that surrounded her. There were a few that were still alive, but were too injured to be an actual threat. Elizabeth couldn't help but gasp as she saw one of them with half of his face missing. She walked around the charred corpses and finally reached the medical packs. Elizabeth turned around and sprinted back to Jaune, but couldn't help but feel confused. Jaune shielded her from the entirety of the explosion which caused almost everyone to be on death's doorstep. So how was it that Jaune survived? Not unscathed, but worlds better than the unfortunate ones that were right next to the fireman._

 _"Jaune! You're going to be okay!" Elizabeth exclaimed as Jaune only responded with a grunt of pain. Elizabeth poured some ointment that she found in one of the bizarre medical kits that said to apply on burns onto her hands and let out a breath. Jaune needed her help at the moment and she looked over to him who had his eyes shut and she could hear his teeth grit against each other in order to get through the pain. "This is going to hurt a bit." She said before putting her hands on his severely injured back._

 _"AAAAGH!" Jaune cried as his fists tightened, and his back convulsed in a jerking motion. Elizabeth saw tears stream down his face as she continued to rub the ointment onto his back. Once she was done, she began to wrap bandages all over his back, and she noticed that Jaune's cries began to die down. She also noticed that once she was done wrapping the bandages, a bright light emitted from Jaune and slowly covered back. Elizabeth was dumbstruck for a few moments before she snapped out of her daze when Jaune let out a groan of slight discomfort._

 _"Thanks," Jaune said in between breaths as he struggled to get up. Elizabeth soon put one of his arms over her shoulder and got her friend to his feet._

 _"You're an idiot!" she exclaimed as the two limped to the entrance of the room where Daisy was. Jaune chuckled a bit at this as he was slowly feeling a bit better._

 _"And your safe due to my idiocy. That's what counts." Elizabeth looked at him for a moment as he tried to chuckle but instead winced in pain. "Oh. Not good. Hurts to laugh." Elizabeth didn't know whether to laugh along or scream at him for doing something so crazy. She looked back to his face and saw that fatigue was apparent. They had been fighting non-stop ever since they escaped her tower, and it was showing on her partner's face._

 _"C'mon. We'll get to the airship and then we can finally rest." Elizabeth said, and Jaune slightly nodded. In his somewhat painful haze however, Jaune saw Elizabeth's eyes widen. Before he could ask anything, she set him against a nearby wall and Jaune could begin to hear the sounds of muffled screaming as he saw Elizabeth run up to the entrance that led to the airship. "No. No! No! NO!" Jaune heard her scream as he slowly made his way to her, curious to why she was so panicked. Once he made it to her side, he looked at the see-through glass door, and his eyes widened as he saw Daisy Fitzroy aiming a loaded pistol at a child's head._

 _"We got to do something," Jaune grunted out as he could feel his aura slowly start to envelop his injured back. "She's going to kill him." Elizabeth nodded at this, and the two both looked around for any means of finding a way through the locked door. Jaune sighed as he found an option, and he looked to Elizabeth. "I can boost you," Jaune said as Elizabeth looked at him with confusion. Jaune gestured up to a somewhat open vent, and her eyes widened._

 _"Jaune, you could get hurt even more!" she exclaimed as she tried to look for another means of entering. Jaune let out a frustrated groan when she said this._

 _"Just be quick about it!" Jaune exclaimed as he limped to the side of the vent and clasped his hands together so that Elizabeth could use him as a step stool. She looked at him for a second with concern until that look morphed into resolve. She got close to him and put her foot on the cusp of his hands. With a cry of pain, Jaune lifted her up, and she made it into the air vent._

 _"Try and distract her Jaune!" she exclaimed and Jaune nodded. The blonde proceeded to struggle back to the door and saw that Daisy was facing away from him. He knocked loudly on the glass and soon gained a look of anger._

 _"This is it? Your monumental movement for justice Daisy?!" Jaune shouted as he arched his back due to the burning sensation. Jaune saw that Daisy turned around and he noticed the child had his mouth covered by her hand._

 _"This is righteousness Arc! Something that I thought you understood!" Daisy yelled back. Jaune let out an angry cry and slammed his fist onto the window pane._

 _"I know justice! And I know that decorating the room with a kid's splattered brain isn't righteous in the slightest! Your just as cruel as FINK!" Jaune screamed the last part and in a fit of anger, Daisy aimed her gun at Jaune and shot at him. As the bullets rocketed through the glass door Jaune dove to the side but not before taking a bullet in the shoulder. His aura wasn't done healing his back so he felt the pain in full. He let out a cry as he clutched his shoulder to stop the bleeding, but soon got back to his feet and went back to where Daisy was._

 _"DO NOT COMPARE ME TO THAT BASTARD!" Daisy roared and Jaune glared at her. "This is what needs to be done! The founders ain't nothing but weeds! Cut 'em down and they just grow back!" Jaune's eyes widened even more as the extremist brought the barrel of the gun back to the child's head and heard the hammer of the gun being cocked back. "If you wanna get rid of the weed, you got to pull it up from the root!" Jaune was now using his left hand to bang on the glass, ignoring the pain that ignited in his back and shoulder. Blood was apparent now as his hands were decorated with it, and he saw Daisy smirk at this. "It's the only way to make su-AAAIEGH!" Jaune was taken back when he saw something resemble scissor blades start to stick out from the front of Daisy's chest. The child was released and before he knew it, the doors opened, and the lights turned on, revealing Elizabeth, removing the scissors from Daisy's back with a look of appalled shock. In those final moments of the extremist's life, Jaune could hear Daisy gurgle on her own blood as she crawled to Elizabeth and grasped at her dress. With one more gurgle, Daisy went limp, leaving Jaune and Elizabeth staring at one another in silence._

 _"Guess it runs in the family." Elizabeth said with a shaky voice. The scissors in her hands were shaking violently, and Jaune saw that she was shell-shocked. Just like when he was right after the raffle. In those moments, Jaune slowly walked up to her but winced a bit due to the burning sensation all over his back. This in turn, caused Elizabeth to flinch back and raise the bloody scissors at him._

 _"Whoa!" Jaune said as he winced a bit while his back tightened. "Elizabeth, just…" Jaune wasn't able to finish his sentence as Elizabeth took a few steps back and took off towards the airship. Jaune hobbled a bit to chase after her, but struggled a bit as he opened the door. Once he got passed the doors, he noticed that his partner was already at the airship and she took a sharp right. Jaune soon made it as well and saw that she locked herself in the closed-off room of the ship._

 _The blonde knight took a few moments as he leaned against the nearby shelf that was covered by medical supplies the Vox used and took a few breaths to focus his aura onto his back. he felt the familiar sensation of relief flood through him and after a few more moments of stretching his back, he could safely assess that he was no longer in agonizing pain. While the aura was healing him, he took this time to remove the bullet in his shoulder with some of the medical supplies on ship. After he amateurishly removed the bullet, he looked at his finger and saw it brighten red while intense heat began to emit off it. Taking a shaky breath, he jammed his finger into his wound and let out an agonizing cry as he felt the wound being cauterized. After those short but intense moments of pain, Jaune slid down against the wall and took a few more minutes to catch his breath._

 _Jaune soon got up from his spot and realized that he slightly felt better due to his aura's intense healing rate. He wasn't at one hundred percent, but good enough to face more of the horrors that resided in the hellhole in the sky he was trapped on. once he made sure he was alright, he took a breath of reassurance and walked up to the door that was in between him and Elizabeth._

 _"Elizabeth?" Jaune asked as he knocked on the door. His only response was silence as he let out a sigh. Jaune undid his belt that housed his hand cannon along with Crocea Mors and placed it on the nearby shelf. "Can we just talk? I-I," he froze for a second, reliving his first kill. The sound the police officer's skull made as it grinded and crunched against the other officer's sky hook. The sight of blood spraying in all directions, and the screams that up roared from all around him. If it wasn't for the adrenaline that was pumping through him at the time, he would have fainted, and he could only imagine how Elizabeth was taking this. "I've been there too." Jaune said softly as he pushed away from the door. He then headed over to the controls of the airship and leaned against the desk that housed the numerous levers. In those moments, Jaune had no idea what to do. He was certain that Vale was too far to reach considering the massive change in culture, not to mention that he had no idea where this Paris place that Elizabeth had talked about resided. The overwhelming stress crept up through his system and in a fit of rage, he threw the box of tools that were next to him to the side with a violent nature. "OUM DAMMIT!" he shouted as his fists tightened._

 _"Jaune?" he heard a soft voice say, and he quickly turned around._

 _"Eliza-!" his eyes widened as they gazed upon Elizabeth who no longer dawned her light blue skirt and white shirt. Instead, the tone of her new outfit was darker but still retained the color of blue and a corset/jacket combination was what covered the upper half of her body. The scissors were still in one of her hands and in the other was a lock of hair that she had cut off, the ponytail to be specific._

 _"This was all they had." Elizabeth stated as she gestured to the outfit she was wearing. She soon after dropped the strands of her cut hair and looked at Jaune with sorrow in her eyes. "I-I think that they have something for you too." She stated, and Jaune knew that she was trying to get her mind off the subject that her guilt was forcing her to replay over and over again. He then looked down at himself and noticed that his hoodie, armor, and jeans were tattered and shredded to hell, not to mention the breeze he could feel against his back due to the fireman incinerating the back of his hoodie. Jaune soon nodded and headed into the dressing room as well and saw what Elizabeth was referring to. There was a closet wardrobe to the right of the mannequin that use to display Elizabeth's new outfit and in that wardrobe occupied a single outfit._

 _"Better than nothing." Jaune muttered to himself as tore off the remains of his hoodie and removed his armor pieces. After a few minutes, Jaune walked out of the room and saw that Elizabeth's eyes widened a bit at his new appearance which was black slacks and a navy-blue button-down shirt with a vest. The red sash that hung around his neck was also a nice touch. Jaune smiled as he noticed that he took Elizabeth's mind off what she had just done and even if it was only for a moment, that satisfied the blonde knight._

 _"You look really nice." Elizabeth softly commented as she turned to face the view of the flying city in front of them. Jaune nodded at this and headed over to the controls with a neutral look on his face._

 _"So, what are the coordinates for this Paris place?" Jaune asked with a small hint of optimism in his voice. He smiled as he saw that Elizabeth looked to him with a hint of surprise._

 _"Actually," Elizabeth said somewhat anxiously. "Can we just sit down for a bit? Some time to rest?" she then gave Jaune a soft smile as she sat down on the right side of the ship. "Paris isn't going anywhere anytime soon." Jaune looked at her for a few moments before reciprocating a smile of the same volume and sitting down next to her. The two were shrouded in silence sans the whipping of the wind around the outside of the ship and in those moments, Elizabeth spoke up._

 _"How?" she asked, and Jaune looked at her quizzically._

 _"What do you mean?" he asked._

 _"How do you do it? You told me that you just got to Columbia not too long ago. Let alone, never hurting or killing anyone!" she shouted this last part in frustration, but Jaune remained silent. He instead, put his left hand on her back, attempting to comfort her. "How can you forget so easily? How have you washed away the things you've done?" Elizabeth's knees were bent, and she buried her face into her palms while her fingers latched to her hair all in the impulse of frustration. Jaune remained silent for a few moments as he sat there. His legs were straight out but crossed over one another, and his right hand was in a lax position. He looked down to his right hand and saw the barnacles from the Undertow vigor appear, and he shuddered a bit._

 _"Elizabeth," Jaune said in a shaky voice. "I know the things you witnessed me do today look like I know what I'm doing." Jaune swallowed a bit of his pride right before he continued on. "But I'm terrified. I'm terrified that I won't make it back home. I'm terrified I may get killed, and I'm terrified I may lose you." Elizabeth looked to Jaune who was now shaking more. "Because the one thing that scares me the most is being left behind and forced to fight alone in this hellhole." Elizabeth's eyes widened as realization dawned on her. "I haven't forgotten any of it." Jaune continued. "And after this is over, I have no idea how I'm going to live with myself." the two succumbed back into the silence after Jaune said this. A few moments passed, however, until the blonde knight felt something. He looked down to see that Elizabeth had wrapped her arm around his and pulled him toward her so that the two were leaning against one another. He was about to say something but noticed that his partner was drifting off to sleep, exhausted from what they had just gone through, and Jaune soon followed suit. As his eyes slowly closed, he couldn't help but ask to whatever omnipotent being that was out there what he had done to deserve being put in this hell that resided in the sky._

* * *

"Jaune?" For some reason, the vision of Elizabeth faded into darkness and as he opened his eyes. He saw Pyrrha standing over him while nudging his shoulder. "C'mon Jaune. We got to get up for breakfast." Jaune rubbed his eyes as sat up from his bed. He looked around and let out a sigh of frustration, knowing that he just had another dream of his time in Columbia. "Are you alright?" he heard Pyrrha ask, and he looked up to his partner who had a look that resembled something of confliction written on her face. Jaune looked at her quizzically, and he nodded his head.

"Is something wrong Pyrrha?" he asked and somewhat braced himself for whatever question she was going to ask him.

"Nope. I'm just going to get ready for the day," she said as she made her way to the bathroom. "I'll be quick so there will be some hot water for you." Jaune nodded as he stretched and mentally prepared himself for the day ahead. He looked to his left and saw a uniform laid out on a nearby chair for him. He chuckled at how he forgot all about the uniforms and got up from his bed. The sun was just rising and he looked at the clock in their room, indicating that it was seven in the morning. He let out a sigh and was about to check on his scroll until he heard the running water from the shower stop.

"That was fast," Jaune muttered to himself as he grabbed his uniform and toiletries that he needed while waiting for his partner to get out of the bathroom. It took about ten more minutes before Pyrrha stepped out in her uniform and Jaune grinned.

"Sorry for the wait," she said while putting a grin on her face. "Get ready, and I'll wait for you. Ren and Nora are waiting for us at the mess hall." Jaune nodded and headed into the somewhat steamy room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Pyrrha's smile morphed into a frown. She stood there for what seemed to be an eternity thinking of the words Jaune said to her the night before. Her efforts to not dwell on it were fruitless as that unknown name kept echoing in her head.

Pyrrha perked up however when she heard the water in the shower turn off. Did she really zone out that much? She looked at the clock, and she raised an eyebrow, realizing that it was only about three minutes since Jaune got into the shower. Another two minutes passed by, and Jaune exited the bathroom, in his uniform as well.

"That was certainly quick," Pyrrha said, and Jaune laughed a bit.

"Yeah. A habit I picked up." Jaune replied, and Pyrrha's attitude somewhat deflated. Jaune looked at her for a moment, and he realized what she thought he meant. He put his hands out in defense. "Due to having seven sisters," he added, and this made Pyrrha look at him with shock and confusion. "Growing up in an all-female household taught me to do everything fast and ahead of my sisters. Either that or wait for all seven of them to be done with getting ready for the day." Jaune and Pyrrha both shuddered a bit at the thought of that scenario. A few moments later, Jaune saw that Pyrrha was in a better mood, and he smiled. "Well, let's get going." He said as he grabbed his holster that housed his hand cannon and soon after, opened the door and let Pyrrha walk out first.

The trip to the mess hall was silent to say the least. Due to having Nora on their team, all of them became accustomed to the concept of waking up early. They were all reluctant at first, but the three of them soon realized that it would be better not to fight against the unstoppable force that is Nora Valkyrie and just get up early with her. Because of that, they were usually the first team in the morning to get their breakfast, which benefited their team immensely due to them having all the freshly cooked food and not the cold scraps that team RWBY usually had to scarf down. As the two partners arrived at the mess hall, they saw their remaining teammates waving at them. Jaune smiled at Nora's cheerful waving as he and Pyrrha sat down across from their teammates, but not before Nora got up and gave Jaune a bone-crushing hug.

"Good morning to you too." Jaune wheezed out and he saw that Ren was smirking at Jaune's pain.

"Of course!" Nora exclaimed. "I'm finally out of that stupid infirmary and can finally get back into action," she said while jokingly flexing, which caused Jaune to laugh a bit.

"Well, we got to get through Port and then Oobleck before Goodwitch's class." Jaune pointed out, and he saw that Nora jokingly deflated at his comment. The group chuckled at this and Jaune got up from his seat. "I'll get us our food." Jaune stated and he pointed to Ren. "Toast with fruit on the side." Ren nodded. Jaune then pointed to Pyrrha. "Eggs and toast." Another nod from his partner. "and a mountain of pancakes for Nora." Jaune saw that Nora was nodding vigorously as he said this and he smiled at this.

"Five max." they all heard Ren say somewhat flatly. Nora let out a grumble while she pouted a bit. She looked up to Jaune and saw him wink at her. Nora's pouting soon stopped after that and Jaune headed over to the counter where the vast assortment of breakfast food would make any person's mouth water. Jaune grabbed four plates and soon had everything he needed for his team, including eggs and bacon for himself. The blonde knight then grabbed some napkins and utensils at the end of the buffet line and as he turned around, he couldn't help but let his eye twitch in irritation.

It seemed that Louis knew about Pyrrha's schedule when it came to her daily activities and took this opportunity to follow her this early in the morning. Given his and Louis's teams were the only two that resided in the mess hall, the prick saw this as a means of being more forward. Him sitting down in Jaune's seat, next to Pyrrha, and putting an arm around her shoulder was proof enough. Jaune was about to head back to his table and tell them to stay away until he saw that Nora spoke up against Louis. Jaune was too far away to hear what his friend had to say, but the look on Louis's face said that her little quip hit a nerve of his. Jaune chuckled at this but soon his eyes narrowed when Louis seemed to go on a little rant, from what Jaune saw, Louis was viciously berating Nora with verbal vulgarities. So much in fact, that it made the bomber shrink a bit in her seat and caused Ren's anger to become apparent.

"Fucking prick," Jaune said as he looked at his team. They were all uncomfortable at Louis's presence and Jaune had enough of it. He thought of just going to Louis and putting the fear of Oum into him, but where was the fun in that? Jaune then looked to his left and saw that one of the windows of the mess hall was open and he grinned. The blonde knight set his food down along the nearby counter and headed over to the window. It was at his level so he didn't have any trouble raising it a bit more. Once it was in place, he made sure that no one was looking his way. The school faculty was busy working and his team was too focused on Louis and his goons to be looking at him. with a breath, Jaune looked down at his hand and saw his nails once more elongate and turn somewhat disgusting. In an instant, the same raven from before appeared in his hand.

"Hey little guy," Jaune said and the blood-soaked raven tilted its head. "I need you to do something for me." Jaune then pointed to Louis and his team. "See them? Don't kill. Just scare until they leave the room. Okay?" the somewhat adorable raven slowly lowered and raised its head in a rhythmic pattern and Jaune laughed at this. He checked the entirety of the ceiling, just in case Ozpin had any cameras and once he saw that none resided in the mess hall, Jaune let out a breath and held his hand out towards Louis. With a quick breath and a flick of the wrist, an entire swarm of ravens and crows appeared from his hand and rocketed towards Louis. Jaune saw the sudden look of fear and panic on the bastard's face along with his goons and after a few seconds of thrashing around, Louis and his team bolted out of the mess hall along with all of the birds chasing after them. Jaune tried his best to keep a straight face as he headed back to his table, where he saw that his teammates were all shocked at the sudden appearance of all of those birds.

"Here you guys go!" Jaune said cheerfully as he set the food down. As soon as he got their attention, Nora shot up from her seat and grabbed Jaune by his coat.

"JAUNE! DID YOU SEE THAT?!" she exclaimed excitedly while shaking him back and forth. Once she was done, the blonde knight took a few breaths and nodded.

"Saw them fly towards the open window over there and I ducked. Thankfully I didn't let any feathers get in the food." Jaune replied.

"Still weird that none of them attacked us. Just Louis and his group." Ren said while eyeing at Jaune. Jaune laughed as he took a bite out of his bacon.

"So, it is true." Jaune stated and his team looked at him with confusion. "Animals CAN sense evil." Jaune's quip made Nora laugh wholeheartedly while Ren smirked. Jaune looked over to Pyrrha who looked like she was going to burst out laughing but refused to due to having some of her food in her mouth. Jaune couldn't help but laugh along and soon after, they ate their breakfast while talking idly about the day ahead.

The rest of the morning went uneventful. Jaune simply watched as his team went over their schedule for the week, but he wasn't paying attention, he was too busy thinking about how his session with Oobleck would be like. Sure, the professor was eccentric, but did that mean that he would push for information? It confused him and he sure as hell was nervous that Oobleck would just pass whatever he said to Ozpin or even worse, his mom.

Port's class was nothing new. Just tales of how the professor took down various Grimm in an extreme fashion. What did change however, was how Jaune perceived the class. Those stories were now golden nuggets of info against the grim, all he had to do was push away the story to find the info. Information such as grasping a Borabatusk by the tusks so that it would be caught in a state of helplessness, or that rapier wasps also affect other creatures of grim and if their venom is concentrated in the right dosage, could turn into a lethal poison. Jaune began scribbling in his notebook, listing off all of the ways grim could be killed and he had to admit, there were some creative ways for ending the lives of grim, almost as many ways to ending human lives. Jaune had no idea how caught up in his notebook he actually was and noticed that the bell rang, indicating that class had ended, the students filed out and Jaune noticed that on their way out, Pyrrha was giving him a questioning glance and he looked back to her while raising an eyebrow.

"What's up?" he asked and he also noticed that Ren was staring at him with confusion as well. Pyrrha snapped out of her little daze and recomposed herself.

"We never once have seen you be that…engrossed in Port's class," Pyrrha said and Jaune gave her a blank stare.

"It's not a comparison to the past," Ren stated soon after, attempting to clarify things. "It's just that you seemed more interested in the class than Weiss." Jaune raised his eyebrows with surprise when he heard this and Nora then popped into his view.

"And that's saying something! Usually, every one of us would be sleeping except Pyrrha." Nora said and Jaune looked back to her partner who still was looking for an answer. He then turned to Nora and the others could notice that his smile was warmer towards her.

"Consider your dreams," Jaune said and Nora looked at him with confusion. "Like the one where you and Ren made a fortune off of Ursa rugs." Nora blinked as he said this. All of them were surprised that he recalled her story all about a month and a half ago. "Why would you make a living off of those?" he then asked while folding his arms and smirking.

"Well, while grim do dissipate into nothing over an amount of time, their body parts such as pelts and teeth are permanent if removed quickly and are valued at a very high price…" Nora stopped for a moment as she saw her leader's smile get a little wider. Nora gave him a look of realization and Jaune chuckled a bit.

"Port does teach pretty well. It's just that his teachings are in his stories. Too bad his stories could put a Goliath into a coma." Jaune commented and Nora giggled at this. Ren and Pyrrha looked at the two with a hint of bewilderment as they heard Jaune's opinion on the professor that was infamous for his boring classes. They honestly couldn't tell what was more confusing. Seeing Nora actually motivated for their next class with Port or that Jaune was able to get Nora more interested in her studies. Their bewilderment was noticeable as Jaune and Nora were looking at them with questioning looks.

"Uuuum. Is something up?" Nora asked as she folded her arms. Pyrrha was the first to notice the agitation from her partner. His arms were folded and he had a knowing expression on his face, indicating that he knew that Ren and herself were having a hard time accepting some changes.

"I'm sure they're fine," Jaune stated and unfolded his arms while digging his hands into his pockets. "C'mon. we got Oobleck next." as Jaune said this, he turned on his heel and headed in the direction with Nora skipping up to him.

"You saw it too huh?" Nora said and Jaune looked at her with confusion. "Well don't be surprised, Ren is uncomfortable with big changes and I know when he experiences one." Jaune nodded in realization. "So, you excited for combat class later today?" the bomber asked and Jaune shrugged a bit.

"If you mean silently dreading that I have to go up against Ren with no weapons, then yes." Jaune replied with a sigh. His only response from Nora was a confused expression and Jaune internally groaned, now knowing that Ren didn't tell her about it. "That was one of his conditions for putting the past weekend behind us. We spar and let bygones be bygones. At least that's what I hope." Nora looked back to Ren who was talking to Pyrrha about something, but she knew it wasn't something casual due to the seriousness in the Champion's face aimed towards her leader.

"And people say that you and I are the thick-headed members of the team," Nora said while elbowing Jaune.

"Who says that?" Jaune asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mostly Weiss and sometimes Blake," Nora said as skipped a bit in her step. "I'm not surprised though. Ice queen has had it out for you as of late too." this remark from Nora made Jaune sigh.

"I honestly have no idea what to do with her. I mean the rest of Team RWBY doesn't seem to mind me still being here, but I've noticed her glares as well." Nora giggled at this and gave Jaune a smile.

"Not harboring any known or unknown feelings towards her now, are we?" Nora asked and Jaune swore that Nora pulled out a fake mustache from nowhere while questioning him. He laughed at this and shook his head.

"No," Jaune said as he finished his laughter, but grew quiet as he his right hand found the photo he always carried with him in his pocket. He didn't need to pull it out and look at it to feel the pain that came with those memories. "I'm not really interested in that department at the moment." Nora mockingly gasped at this.

"No more lady killer?!" Nora asked and Jaune chuckled.

"At the moment, yeah. I just want to get situated and back to the way things were before I left." Jaune said and Nora nodded. She remained quiet after he said that, but Jaune noticed that Nora wasn't concerned or looking at him as if there was a problem. She simply hummed in a hushed tone and in a way, acknowledged him. He was thankful for this as the two entered Oobleck's class along with the rest of their team.

Oobleck's class went by without a hitch and Jaune was thankful for that. However, as the class was dismissed, Jaune saw the doctor give him a knowing look and the blonde knight internally groaned at the fact that Oobleck was expecting him after all of his classes, during the hour prior to dinner. Once the students filed out, Jaune let out a yawn and took a look at his scroll that indicated that it was their one-hour break for lunch. His eyes narrowed a bit and he pocketed his scroll, dreading what was coming later in the day.

"Jaune!" Jaune turned his head to see that Ruby and her team soon followed his team out of the class and the scarlet reaper was calling out to him. Jaune stopped along with his team and he smiled at his fellow leader.

"Hey, crater face," Jaune said with a wide grin on his face. It remained that way when he saw the Ruby slightly pout at her nickname. "Something going on?" Jaune asked and he noticed that Ruby's pouting soon ceased and was replaced with her nodding excitedly.

"I finished up your weapon last night!" she exclaimed and Jaune's eyes widened with surprise.

"Spent all night on it. You should be grateful Arc." Jaune heard Weiss say with an indignant huff.

"Never said I wasn't, Schnee." Jaune replied in a cold tone and emphasized her last name while his glare hardened on the heiress. He noticed the heiress's shocked expression for a millisecond before reverting back to her cold exterior. Jaune rolled his eyes at this and turned back to Ruby with a better attitude. "You have my thanks Ruby." Jaune noticed the look of concern on his fellow leader's face for a moment, possibly related to the tension between him and Weiss. "Should we get it right now?" his response was an excited nod from Ruby and he chuckled before turning to his team. "I'll see you guys at the mess hall. If not, then combat class." Nora gave him a mock salute before turning on her heel and leading the way while his and Ruby's team followed. The two stood there for a moment, watching their teams head off and Ruby smiled a bit.

"You and Nora are closer than the last time we saw you," Ruby stated while she turned in the direction of her workshop and Jaune followed.

"Well saving someone from the brink of death can create stronger bonds." Jaune jokingly stated and Ruby's attitude deflated a bit.

"I'm really sorry that we dragged you and Nora into that fight though. I mean, I know that I was in charge of my team and we did defeat it, but I can't help but feel responsible in a way." Jaune looked to Ruby who looked somewhat tired. Her posture was slouched and her eyes were a bit droopy, not to mention her walk resembled trudging of the sort.

'She's really racking her brain over this isn't she?' Jaune thought to himself and soon after putting a hand on her shoulder while giving her a reassuring smile.

"You're not at fault." Jaune said softly but yet with a stern foundation, trying to solidify his statement. Ruby was about to protest, but Jaune beat her to the punch. "I was the one that decided we should follow you and your team and I was the one that got thrown into that position that Nora got me out of. If anything, I should be apologizing that we got in your team's way." Ruby went wide-eyed at this and quickly waved her hands, politely denying his statement.

"Are you kidding me?! That weapon of yours penetrated the robot's hull with only a few shots! What dust did you use for it anyway?" Jaune's mind went blank for a second as he realized that there weren't any long-ranged weapons that didn't rely on dust, did gunpowder even exist in Remnant? There had to be some if not a substitute for it. Jaune mentally sighed as he realized that he would have to make his own bullets for his hand cannon.

"Dust wasn't a factor," Jaune replied and Ruby's eyes widened.

"You mean that you didn't use dust?! What caliber is that thing using?!" Ruby exclaimed and Jaune thought about it for a moment before realizing that his mind went blank. He made a mental note to learn the ins and outs of his weapon and would most likely need Ruby's help in that department.

"We'll talk about that later Ruby," Jaune stated and he smiled as she pouted, knowing that her attitude was improving. "First thing's first, did the blueprint give you any trouble?" Ruby looked at him with a hint of annoyance as he changed the subject but shrugged it off before the two arrived at their intended destination.

"It was no trouble, though it was a little weird that you asked for a weapon like that. I always thought of you as a sword and shield type of guy." Ruby said as she opened the door and Jaune followed.

"I thought I was too. Until I had to use one of those things." Jaune replied and Ruby nodded.

"Though I couldn't help but feel that it was used for more than fighting. The blueprint you gave me was aimed for a means of transportation." Ruby said while eyeing Jaune and he scratched the back of his head.

"Transportation," Jaune muttered. "Something like that." Ruby looked at him for a minute before shrugging.

"Anyways, here it is," Ruby said before they made it to her workbench and pulled out a case, placing it on the table. Jaune raised an eyebrow at this.

"You always keep weapons in cases like this?" Jaune asked with his arms folded and Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Well, Crescent Rose stays in the weapon locker and this is the first close combat weapon I've made in a while, so I needed someplace to put it." Ruby stated while unlatching the locks on the side and opened the case. "Like I said, I took some liberties." Jaune smiled as she grabbed the appliance and handed it to Jaune. The blonde marveled at the design but noticed that something was off a bit. "Well don't just stand there, put it on! she exclaimed with excitement and Jaune complied, sliding the device onto his left forearm and as he did so, a smile appeared on his face, as if he was welcoming an old friend.

"Thanks, Ruby," Jaune said as he looked to his friend who shrugged off his compliment.

"Psh," Ruby replied. "It was no biggie. After giving up Crocea Mors, and helping us out the other night, I couldn't refuse." Jaune smiled as looked at the vambrace that resided on his left forearm. Ruby's smile grew a little more in excitement as she looked to Jaune. "Wanna test it out?" Jaune gave no answer and instead, gave her an excited grin and simply nodded.

The lunch hour passed as quickly as it came and it was time for combat class. As the students soon filed into the stands that surrounded the arena below them, Goodwitch took account into how many students have entered the class. The students soon settled in and the professor noticed two absences that made her brow twitch. Goodwitch didn't personally didn't get to know her students and instead tried to keep a professional relationship between them, but she knew that the two leaders of RWBY and JNPR being missing was a headache slowly coming her way. The professor made a note to call them out on their absence if or when they got to class and before turning back to her scroll, noticed that Jaune Arc's partner was starting to become worried. The softer side of Goodwitch pitied the girl due to the amount of stress she was going through but decided not to dwell on it too much and started the class.

Pyrrha was worried, to say the least. It had been an hour since she or any of her friends had seen Jaune or Ruby and it was now ten minutes into Goodwitch's class. The champion cringed at the thought of her partner walking in and the professor calling him out. Despite that, she also couldn't help but wonder what was taking so long, considering that the two were assessing his new weapon, it shouldn't have taken this long.

"You okay P-Money?" Pyrrha looked to her right and saw Yang with a somewhat concerned expression on her face. Pyrrha made sure that Goodwitch was occupied on the fight that had just started between Nora and Sun Wukong before turning to her the blonde brawler.

"I'm okay," Pyrrha replied with a somewhat fake smile. Yang wasn't buying it due to the skepticism increasing in the brawler's look.

"And my hair is black." Yang flatly responded, and Pyrrha winced a bit. "Pyrrha, you've been out of it today. Almost as much as Blake here." Yang said as she gestured to her partner and Blake perked up while eyeing Yang with irritation. Pyrrha also noticed the tired state the Faunus was in and decided not to dwell on it. "C'mon Pyrrha, your usually more excited than this during combat classes. What gives?" Yang genuinely asked while Pyrrha remained silent for a few moments.

"Yang, you seem to know almost everyone at this school, right?" Pyrrha asked somewhat flatly as her eyes narrowed at the fight that was occurring in front of them. The brawler raised an eyebrow at this sudden question.

"Yeah. I mean, I like to think I do." Yang replied while twirling one of the ends of her hair. "Why do you ask?" Pyrrha looked at the brawler's frustration and stress apparently on her face.

"Do you know anyone named Elizabeth?" Pyrrha asked, and the champion noticed that Blake was somewhat interested in the conversation now. Yang sat there for a moment before looking back to Pyrrha.

"Doesn't ring a bell. Blake?" Yang looked over to her partner who had actually closed her book.

"Nothing here," Blake responded. "Though why do you ask?" before Pyrrha could answer the three of them could hear the door to the class open and a sense of relief flooded through them all as they saw their two leaders attempting to sneak into the class. The battle between Nora and Sun ended with the bomber as the victor seconds after Jaune and Ruby entered and Goodwitch noticed this.

"Mr. Arc and Ms. Rose," Goodwitch said with a stern tone as the two students in question froze due to their failure to sneak into the combat class ten minutes late. "Please tell me the reason for your tardiness." Jaune noticed that the professor that was eyeing them from the front arena had her eyes narrow specifically on him. he sheepishly laughed and noticed the concern come from his team.

"Sorry." He shrugged. This earned a glare from the professor.

"I didn't ask for an apology Mr. Arc. I asked for a reason." Goodwitch quickly replied and Jaune was about to respond, but Ruby beat him to it.

"We were working on his new weapon and we lost track of time," Ruby spoke up and the professor raised an eyebrow at this.

"Be sure to not lose track again." was the only response Goodwtich gave to Ruby and the two ceased the opportunity to make it to their teams. Ruby's team was grateful that she was back and so was Jaune's, though the two leaders could see the irritation visibly rise within Weiss when they sat down. "Now." Goodwtich said as she received the full attention of the class. "Today will be an easier day than usual. A few one on one spars and nothing more, but please take notes and be vigilant in each fight." the students nodded at this and Goodwitch pressed a few keys on her scroll which caused the lights to dim once more and the overhead board show a list of students being selected in a random manner.

"Sorry," Jaune whispered to Pyrrha as he sat down. The champion gave him a slight glare but paid no mind to him. "Got kind of carried away." he continued on as he scratched the back of his head.

"What is your new weapon anyway?" Pyrrha asked as she continued to look at the screen that was randomly selecting students. She was surprised to hear Jaune chuckle a bit in response.

"Well.." Jaune was about to go on, but the selection process was complete and the names of the two students that were set to fight came up on the screen.

"Will Mr. Black and Mr. Arc please come down and get ready for combat," Goodwitch called out to the audience and Jaune irked a bit at this. Jaune looked to his partner and teammates whose attention was now on him. Jaune let out another chuckle but sounded more anxious.

"I guess you'll find out soon," Jaune said as he looked over to Ren who was sitting in between Pyrrha and Nora who had just gotten back from her match. "Looks like our little spar will have to wait for Ren," Jaune said and Ren nodded with understanding. "I guess I'll see you all after the match." Jaune shrugged and headed down to the changing room.

Jaune let out a breath of slight frustration as he opened the door to his locker. His attire he wore from Columbia was there along with his casual clothes as well and he stood there for a few moments, thinking of which one to put on. With a smirk on his face, Jaune grabbed his Columbia clothes and began to strip from his uniform.

"I wonder how this will go?" Jaune stopped for a moment to register that the voice he heard was the one in his head. "I hope it goes better than Pyrrha's match, I mean did you see that kid? Little douche will probably make you snap as soon as you get out there!" Jaune refused to acknowledge the voice as he put on his black slacks and shoes. "Come on Jauney, I can't be the only one that thinks that little prick is up to something." the voice said as Jaune put on his vest and wrapped the red sash around his neck. As much as he wanted to ignore the voice, it did have a point. Ever since he got back to Beacon, the trio that included his soon-to-be opponent rubbed him the wrong way. Even when he saw Mercury Black head to the lockers, Jaune felt his vibe to be a little sinister.

"I'm going have to admit that they are kind of annoying," Jaune said to the voice as he straightened his vest out and holstered his hand cannon.

"Well excuse me." Jaune quickly turned with his gun at the ready. In an instant, the safety was off, the hammer was cocked, and the barrel was aiming right at Mercury Black's head. "Sweet Oum!" Mercury shouted as he put his hands up to defend himself and Jaune soon noticed what he did.

"Shit!" Jaune said as he holstered his weapon. Mercury glared at him as he walked past the blonde.

"I knew you were fucked in the head but this is ridiculous." Mercury bumped Jaune's shoulder with his own as Jaune said nothing. Once Mercury left the locker room Jaune scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I need to work on that." Jaune stood there for a few moments and once he made sure that the voice in his head didn't respond, he headed back to his locker to pick up one last thing. In the locker, resided a strand of now grayish cloth, the same cloth that covered his right hand during his time in Columbia. In a moment of raw instinct, Jaune wrapped it around his right hand and let out another breath of relief. He then looked down to his left forearm and saw the polished wood that decorated the outside of the vambrace. There was no symbol nor special design, just polished wood, just as he asked. "Alright," Jaune said to himself as he headed out to the arena.

"Mr. Arc." Jaune perked up a bit as he heard Professor Goodwitch call out to him as he entered the arena while Mercury was on the other side. "Are you ready?" she asked and Jaune nodded. Goodwtich looked over to Mercury and he nodded as well. "Very well," Goodwitch said as she hit a few keys and the lights dimmed once more. Mercury got into a basic fighting stance while Jaune did the same. "Begin!" as soon as the professor shouted this, Jaune and Mercury bolted towards each other.

Once the two got in range of one another, Mercury reeled his leg back for a roundhouse kick and with the added force of the guns on his boots, Mercury swung his right leg, aiming for Jaune's side. The blonde saw this coming and backed away just as Mercury's foot brushed across Jaune's chest. The blonde saw an opening and turned on his heel and delivered a back kick to Mercury's chest. An audible grunt could be heard from Jaune's opponent and the blonde smirked at this.

Jaune's actions, however, were soon dashed aside as Mercury came up close once more and let out a barrage of kicks that Jaune was having a hard time keeping track of. His team and his friends winced as they saw Jaune's opponent get a few good hits to Jaune's side and face. For Mercury's finisher, he lifted his leg above him and slammed his heel down on Jaune who was in a slight daze. Everyone winced a bit as they saw Mercury's foot place a solid hit on Jaune and the remaining force caused him to slam face first into the arena floor.

Mercury let out a few pants as he saw Jaune's still form laying atop the somewhat cracked tiles of the floor and soon gave an indignant huff before turning away. As he was walking away however, the silver-haired transfer student noticed that the lights hadn't turned on, indicating that the match was over and also noticed that Goodwitch gave him a disapproving look as he walked away. He was about to speak up but was quickly interrupted.

*BLAM!*

Mercury felt the stinging sensation of a bullet rip the shallow layers of skin on his neck and let out a quick cry of sudden pain. His along with everyone's ears in the audience rang with irritation at the sudden and deafening noise that emitted from Jaune. Mercury turned around to see that Jaune was on his feet and his hand cannon was smoking, all while the blonde was smirking. Mercury looked up to the projector and saw that Jaune's aura was barely in the yellow. The silver-haired transfer growled at this along with the indignant smirk Jaune was giving him and he charged at the blonde with a hint of rage.

Jaune took this opportunity of unhinged offense to get close to Mercury so he could only resort to hand to hand combat, and if his previous attacks were any indication, Jaune's opponent relied mostly on his legs for offense, and not his arms. Mercury noticed this as well, but decided nonetheless to engage the Arc in a up close and personal fist fight. Jaune blocked an oncoming one-two jab combo from mercury and Jaune took a side step to the right so he could deliver a right hook to Mercury's side. Jaune felt the familiar and satisfying sound of ribs cracking as he delivered this punch and Mercury let out a grunt due to this. In a desperate attempt to get out of the position he was in, Mercury grabbed Jaune's shoulder and lifted his bent knee up so that his foot was in between him and Jaune. With a thrust of his boot, Mercury kicked back and Jaune was sent to the other end of the arena, almost into the out of bounds area.

As Jaune recovered, he noticed that Mercury's aura was visibly congested in the area where Jaune landed his punch and the blonde smirked a bit, knowing that most of his opponent's aura was still occupying the injured area. Jaune got back up to his feet and with his arms forward in a fighting position, he charged forward once again and saw that Mercury followed suit. Jaune also noticed that Mercury had once more, used the guns in his boots to propel himself forward. Jaune responded to this by flooding his legs with his aura in order to give him a boost in speed. Once the two were again in the range of one another, Mercury swung his leg in a roundhouse fashion aimed at Jaune's temple.

Right before Mercury's foot could make contact, Jaune brought his right hand up to his forearm could block the incoming attack. Jaune winced and gritted his teeth as he felt the bones in his forearm tremble a bit but with a struggled yell, Jaune closed in and saw his opening. He then flexed his left thumb out to extend the trigger on his vambrace and smiled a bit as he heard the mechanisms in his armguard begin to turn. Jaune saw in those moments that an extended mechanical joint folded out from the upper edge of the vambrace and folded out once more to reveal the familiar sight of three hooks that began to rotate forward as he pulled his pointer and middle fingers inward. In one quick motion, he slammed the flat tops of the hooks into Mercury's face and Jaune added a little aura into his arm for a little more power just to be safe.

The sudden strike made Mercury tumble back a few feet and as he looked back up from his prone state, his eyes widened as he saw that Jaune had basically pounced at him, with whatever that weapon was at the ready. Mercury didn't have the chance to move due to Jaune tackling him further, and Mercury was now laying on his back while Jaune was on top of him. In an instant, Jaune began to bash his new weapon into Mercury's face over and over again. Exasperated grunts of frustration and pain along with the familiar sounds of cartilage being crushed was emitting from the two as this brutal beating was taking place.

As this was occurring, the audience grew silent due to what they were witnessing. For everyone that Jaune personally knew, the image of him smashing his weapon directly on the bridge of Mercury's nose sent sudden chills down their backs. Ren and Blake had wide eyes but remained silent, a sense of frustrated anger was radiating from Yang. Weiss simply looked on with a hint of disgust, Ruby felt a sinking feeling in her heart as she saw the weapon she designed be used in such a manner. Pyrrha looked on with a hint of horror and dread. Nora however, looked over to the champion and her other friends and saw that fear was apparent in their eyes and Nora knew that fear was aimed towards their leader's fierce nature. Nora's eyes softened a bit as she looked to her friends who were shocked at the beating and then back to Jaune. As much as she wanted to be afraid of what she was seeing, she knew that this was just a part of the Jaune that came back to them, and if he didn't display this much ferocity back in Columbia, then he would have been killed. What made Nora a little frustrated however, was that she felt like the only one who understood this.

As the beating carried on, Mercury saw on the projector above them indicating that his aura was quickly declining and was almost in the red. As Jaune reeled his weapon back once more, Mercury grabbed Jaune's bicep so that the chance of landing another hit was non-existent and with a somewhat strangled cry, Mercury grabbed Jaune's other bicep and bent his knee inward so that he could place his foot onto Jaune's chest. In one motion, Mercury pulled Jaune's arms inward and rolled back while kicking Jaune away from him. Due to the sudden and intense pain that Mercury went through, he had no restraint on his weapons as he used full power on his boots so that Jaune was sent flying. The blonde tumbled quickly across the arena and fell off into the out of bounds.

As this happened, Mercury got up from his prone stance and brushed himself off while the lights came on, indicating that the match had finished. The transfer student also noticed the blood that was dripping from his nose and he winced in pain as he touched his fractured nose. As he did this, Goodwitch came up with a scroll in hand, calculating a few details that she saw during the fight.

"And that is the-"

*BLAM!*

Goodwitch quickly turned towards the source of the gunshot that interrupted her and her eyes were set on Jaune Arc, aiming his hand cannon right at Mercury, who let out a blood-curdling cry. Goodwitch turned back to the other student who was once again on the floor, clutching his kneecap.

"AAAAGH!" Mercury cried out while soon after gritting his teeth to get rid of the pain. Goodwitch was about to encompass the assailant with her aura and give him a proper punishment until she noticed something from Jaune, the look in his eyes wasn't one of poor sportsmanship, nor anger, nor fear, but desperation. The weapon that Jaune was holding was somewhat trembling in his hands and his breathing was quick and hitched. "THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!," Goodwitch heard Mercury scream at Jaune and this sudden outcry caused the blonde to cock the hammer back, readying to fire once again. Goodwitch acted quickly and encompassed the weapon in her semblance and brought it to her. Once the weapon was in safe hands, she looked back over to Jaune who was staring intently at Mercury.

"The match is over Mr. Arc," Goodwitch said somewhat calmly and this seemed to snap the boy out of whatever desperate daze he was in. The professor could see the shock and shame quickly rise within the boy and Goodwitch internally sighed. "You are dismissed early. Get changed and head to Oobleck's office immediately. Your weapons will be at your locker for future endeavors." Jaune looked at her for a few moments before somewhat nodding and heading back to the locker room, but not before stopping in his tracks. Goodwtich was confused as the boy was staring at something on the ground and she grew even more confused as he crouched down to pick something up.

"YOU GOD DAMN PSYCHO!" Jaune was snapped from his fixated state that was focused on the arena floor and pocketed whatever he picked up so that he could face Mercury. Goodwitch turned to Mercury who was now seething through his teeth and Goodwitch shut her eyes while letting out a sigh of frustration.

"That's enough Mr. Black," Goodwtich said with a stern tone. "Medics are on their way now, you will be sent to the infirmary. Ms. Sustrai, you will accompany him as well." The mint green haired girl nodded at this as she got up from her seat. Goodwitch looked back to Jaune who was just standing there as if he was in deep thought. "Mr. Arc." Jaune snapped out of his daze once more and faced the professor. "I advise that you leave." Jaune nodded at this and headed to the locker room while Mercury was taken to the infirmary. Goodwtich could see the embarrassment grow on Jaune and she couldn't help but pity the boy. Once the two combatants were nowhere in sight, she turned to the stunned and silent audience who refused to move throughout that shocking endeavor. "Alright everyone, be prepared for the next combatants to come on stage."

 **With Jaune:**

He couldn't believe that he did that. Why did he keep fighting even if the match was over? Now that he thought about it, did he even notice that the match was over? The last thing he truly remembered was laying the first strike with his modified sky hook. After that, everything became hazy and all he could make out was repeatedly slamming his weapon into something. It wasn't until Goodwitch took his hand cannon away when he got a hold of his senses. By then the damage was done.

 _"I have to admit, when you repeatedly attempted to bash that kid's brains in, it became borderline orgasmic. I think euphoric is the correct term for those moments actually."_ Jaune hung his head slightly as he walked down the empty halls, still in his attire from Columbia.

"What if that was Ruby? Or Nora? What would have happened then huh?" Jaune asked the voice with frustration, and it simply scoffed.

 _"Then I'm pretty sure you would be contemplating suicide at this point if it was either of them at the business end of your sky hook."_ The voice said as it chuckled. _"Still I'm impressed that the kid held out as long as he did. Usually, the brains would be decorating the floors and giving the janitors a run for their money. Ain't aura a lifesaver or what?"_ Jaune then put his hands and his pockets and his eyes narrowed.

"Still doesn't explain what we-I found," Jaune said as he rubbed his thumb over the flattened bullet that he picked up off the arena floor.

 _"Your welcome for pointing that out to you by the way,"_ the voice replied. _"All sass aside though, you're right. You kneecapped that poor bastard and I'm no doctor, but usually, bullets rip through flesh, not ricochet off."_ Jaune groaned at this as he shut his eyes in frustration.

"Still doesn't explain him bleeding from his leg," Jaune replied.

 _"That is true."_ Jaune then heard a clapping noise inside his head, _"Well, as much as I love our lovely chats, we're here."_ Jaune snapped out of his daze and realized that he was in front of the doors that led to Oobleck's office. He stood there for a few moments, making sure that whatever that voice was, was truly gone and after taking a breath of reassurance, he knocked on the door, bracing himself for what was to come.

A few seconds passed by until the door opened all the way and in the doorframe stood Doctor Oobleck with coffee in hand. What stood out was the neutral and somewhat somber expression on his face. "Mr. Arc," Oobleck started but what caught Jaune off guard was that the doctor wasn't speaking in his upbeat tone, and in more of a tone that said that something was up. "Come in," Oobleck said as he invited Jaune into his office.

"Thanks," Jaune said as he walked into the office. The room was lime green with a white ceiling. Amongst the walls were various artifacts or masks that were mounted up for display along with a bookshelf that was propped up against the left side of the room, housing various books that were in numerous languages. Jaune made his way further and saw that there was a well-polished desk that resided in the back of the room along with two office chairs, one on each side of the desk.

"Please sit Mr. Arc," Oobleck said with politeness as he walked to his side of the desk. Jaune was a little baffled to see the doctor actually walk and not zip to his seat. Nevertheless, Jaune complied and sat down. Oobleck followed suit and set his coffee down on top of his desk. Jaune also noticed that there were a couple of framed photos on his desk facing the doctor's way along with a few artifacts encased in small glass boxes.

"Before we start, I want to explain the rules to these meetings." Jaune did his best not to sigh at this and nodded towards the doctor. "The only rules that go for both of us are that nothing we say to each other leaves this room unless you say so. I can assure you that Ozpin and your mother will only hear the status of your stature and nothing more. Everything that is discussed is confidential to everyone else. You may talk about some things to your friends at your own volition, however, I recommend that you discuss these things in private such as your dorm room if the scenario of your partner wanting to know anything arises." Jaune groaned at this revelation, knowing that Pyrrha would want to know how his sessions went. "Other than that, I only wish to be treated with respect, and in turn I will treat you in the same manner, I am not here to judge or harass Mr. Arc. I am here to help." Jaune sat there for a few moments, processing what he had just heard. After the hectic battle, he had just been through, this felt a little too good to be true. In all honesty, Jaune thought that the doctor would talk his ear off for an hour about things that he already knew. This new attitude however, was almost nice, welcoming even.

"Alright professor," Jaune said as he nodded once more and Oobleck glared at this.

"Doctor." Oobleck said with a stern tone and Jaune chuckled. "Now onto the matter at hand." Oobleck continued while Jaune couldn't help but feel a little anxious as he said this. The doctor took a swig from his coffee and soon set it down. "Goodwitch informed me what happened today in your fight with Mr. Black." Jaune tensed a bit as he said this while Oobleck remained still. "And all I have to say is that it is natural for something like this to happen." Confusion overtook Jaune in full as he didn't know how to respond, and Oobleck scoffed a bit. "Mr. Arc, Huntsman face horrors of grim, human, and Faunus on a daily basis. Usually we as teachers, would ease you all into this cruel world one step at a time, when you and your colleagues became upperclassmen. However, from the way you have acted along with the look on your face during the fight, it can be safely said that you have surpassed those boundaries and have taken a long look at the horrors that plague this world." Jaune said nothing but moved a bit due to the uncomfortable nature that Oobleck was referring to. "So that is why I say that you don't have to feel ashamed of your actions, you acted like anyone would if they were fighting for their lives." Jaune looked back to the professor who then gave him a nod.

"I honestly don't know what to say," Jaune said as he hunched over a bit in his seat and Oobleck nodded.

"Well, now I must ask, would you dare hurt the people you care for? Even if they were in your way?" Jaune became surprised as Oobleck asked this question, and he quickly shook his head. Oobleck said nothing as Jaune began to think on the question at hand. He honestly couldn't bear to see any of his friends hurt, even if they weren't on the same page as him. Nora was proof of that. "Alright," Oobleck said, breaking Jaune out of his thought process. "Now, from what has been heard from the official report, during the fight with the prototype paladin, you saved your teammate from heart failure." Jaune then nodded at this. "Would you please tell me what you were thinking during those moments?" Jaune fell silent when Oobleck asked him this. He then thought back to that night and remembered the voice telling him how worthless he was, and how he desperately wanted to prove it wrong, how he wanted to prove not just it, but the issues that swirled around him all wrong and he wanted his friend back.

"I wanted nothing more than to save my friend," Jaune said with conviction. Oobleck smirked at this response and nodded at the boy's answer.

"Even when you let your anger and frustration out on your team earlier that day?" Jaune froze for a second, wondering how Oobleck knew about that. "Ms. Nikos has informed me of your past interactions with her and the rest of your friends, including the scars that they all witnessed and the countless bottles she saw at your motel room." It was then that Jaune cursed and stood up from his seat.

"Son of a bitch!" Jaune hissed as he threw his hands up in frustration. "Is it so hard for her to not coddle me and let me handle some of these issues on my own?!" Jaune was beyond frustrated at this point and his hands tightened in anger.

"Mr. Arc." Jaune's attention snapped to Oobleck who had a neutral expression on his face. "I can attest to your anger on this manner, but if you wish to resolve this issue, then you will have to sit down." Jaune stared at Oobleck for a few moments before letting a huff out through his nose and then sat down in his chair. "Thank you." the doctor said and Jaune nodded silently. "Now back to my question. Despite your outburst, you would still protect or save your friends? Even after discovering this disheartening action of mistrust?" Jaune took a few moments to process this question as he was still trying his best to calm down. After a few moments, he leaned forward and had a calmer expression on his face.

"All anger aside, yes," Jaune replied and Oobleck nodded while writing something down on a piece of paper that resided on his desk.

"Well, now we have something to work with," Oobleck replied and Jaune cocked his head in confusion. "While things have been difficult for you and have clearly made an impact on your psyche, you still retain the foundation of your older self. That urge to protect still exists and that is where we will work from." The doctor then got up from his seat and headed towards the door. "We will cut today short, knowing that things have been stressful for you as of late." Jaune got up from his chair and slightly smiled.

"Alright. Also, Doctor Oobleck," Jaune said as he made sure that he had his belongings with him.

"Yes?" Oobleck asked as Jaune walked out the door and into the hallway.

"Are you sure my mom won't know the details of our meetings?" Oobleck chuckled at this question and shook his head to calm himself.

"I can assure you Mr. Arc," Oobleck started. "That no one will know the specifics of our appointments unless you allow it." Jaune nodded at this and Oobleck slightly grinned. "However, I must inform you that Maria is very displeased with your actions that were posted on the DustNet. I had to listen to her rant for almost an entire hour before she calmed down." It took Oobleck every fiber of his being not to crack a bigger grin at the sight of Jaune turning pale when he heard this. "Nevertheless, I hope things will get better in your future endeavors Mr. Arc. have a good evening." Jaune smiled and looked back to the professor as he was walking away.

"Thanks, Doctor Oobleck," Jaune said as he continued to walk down the massive hall. After a few more minutes of walking, Jaune checked his scroll and saw that it was about time for dinner. Instead of heading to the mess hall, however, the boiling feeling of his anger began to grow as he remembered that Pyrrha had sold him out behind his back. Those were his secrets that he would tell at his own volition. "Still coddling as ever," Jaune mumbled as he turned on his heel and headed back to his dorm while sending a message to Nora saying that he was going to sleep much earlier.

 _"Low blow on the champion's part,"_ The voice said, and Jaune sighed. _"She has no restraint when it comes to worrying over you. For God's sake, you have fought firemen, mechanical patriots, handyman, and a FUCKING GHOST THAT COULD RAISE THE DEAD!"_ In that moment, Jaune couldn't help but agree with the voice as he arrived at his dorm room. _"At least Elizabeth could handle you taking risks. You would have died on countless occasions if you didn't."_ Jaune nodded a bit as he walked into his room and undid his sash. He then followed up by removing his vest and a button-down shirt and in turn, dawned a white T-shirt and soon replaced his pants with pajama bottoms.

"Still didn't help when she left though," Jaune said out loud as he slumped onto his bed. "The least I can do now is just try and get things back to normal, no matter how aggravating that can be." Right before Jaune closed his eyes, he heard the voice in his head chuckle a bit.

 _"How many times do I have to say this, Jaune?"_ the voice somewhat hissed. _"Normal is an impossibility."_

 **Twenty-four single space pages beautiful people. My longest chapter yet. Bragging aside, I want to say that this was a fun chapter to write despite taking it longer than I expected. Which leads into another topic I want to discuss, time for writing. With school starting once again and even joining a sport, time has been restrictive though not impossibly unbearable. I will still make time to write these stories that I hope are enjoyable, and I have also devised a lineup of what I will do next. There will another chapter of Tears of the Mind coming up (I still have to map out the flow of the chapter) and then I will write and publish another chapter of RWBY watches Hamilton. After that, I will finally get that damn chapter of Reaping with Sorrow that I have been struggling with published on my page. So that is my plan. I hope you all enjoyed this. Shout out once more to Firestorm808 for helping me. Drop a comment or review and as always, be compassionate and BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 and FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!**


	9. Chapter 9

**WE'RE BAAAAAACK BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! Another big ass chapter to satisfy all your needs of bioshock/RWBY crossover cravings. Hope you all enjoy and just so we are all clear, this is fanfiction, all franchises and outside elements such as characters, settings, and music belong to their respective owners.**

Chapter 9

The Variables of Discovery

A day had passed since the incident with Jaune and Mercury and the school was starting to become a little on edge due to the blonde knight's presence. It didn't help Jaune Arc's reputation when everyone discovered that he got into Beacon via false transcripts but this was becoming more of an issue due to no one calling him out on it. The whole school mutually agreed that if it was anyone else, harsh treatment would be prevalent. However, after yesterday's fight, a common consensus was established among the student body. That consensus was to stay away from him. His actions proved that he was unhinged and unstable. No one wanted to provoke someone who was capable of mercilessly bashing a person's face in and following up with kneecapping him. It was this way of thinking that caused the headmaster of Beacon academy to frown in disappointment.

Ozpin sat in his office chair, looking over the surveillance footage throughout the school and frowned at the images he was seeing. Looks of fear-driven anxiety were among student's faces once Jaune Arc was brought up into their conversations, and, in some rare occasions, anger was also prevalent. Ozpin sighed as he saw these results and swiped the footage aside from his scroll, and then brought up the footage from the fight. He had the urge to wince as he saw Jaune land blow after blow upon Mercury's face. What soon followed after was what caused the headmaster to peak his interest as he saw the fierce look of desperation on Jaune's face. He wasn't reveling in the violence this time. Instead, he was willing to do whatever it took to get out of the immediate danger or deal with said danger directly. A tactic that most huntsmen and huntresses have used. However, that is when they are out in the field, and not in a practical setting.

The elevator doors opened to Ozpin's office, and he looked up while taking a sip of coffee as Glynda Goodwitch and Bartholomew Oobleck entered. It was an hour before dinner so classes were over with for the day. This, in turn, lets the professors attend this impromptu meeting. However, both teacher's expressions morphed into frowns as they saw the video that Ozpin was playing.

"It's good that you two came," Ozpin said while standing up. Oobleck and Goodwitch nodded in response. "I assume you two know what I would like to discuss." Goodwitch walked forward as he said this.

"Yes," Goodwitch said. "However, the question is what do you want the school to do about it?" She then folded her arms indicating that she wasn't happy with what was occurring as of late. "I mean, we can't shun or alienate him. Not only would that be wrong on all accounts, it would hinder his healing as well." Ozpin looked to his trustful co-worker and lowered his head.

"Or could be the potential cause of him turning against us," Ozpin added and looked back to the video. "Fragile minds are the easiest to mold, and the last thing our enemies need is an unhinged killer." Oobleck scowled a bit but made sure that the headmaster didn't notice his disapproval in his eyes, and in order to keep the topic at hand away from such malevolence, he turned to his co-worker.

"I ask that we pull him from the combat in your class," Oobleck stated suddenly to Goodwitch and this caused the two of them to look at the doctor. "Have him train against drones in the training room and occasionally let one of his teammates train with him in teamwork scenarios." Ozpin looked to the doctor and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"As much as I want to agree to this Bart," Ozpin stated as he folded his hands over his cane. "Wouldn't having his teammates in the vicinity with him during combat create a risk for all of them?" Oobleck nodded at this and folded his hands behind his back.

"Of course. That is why when he does work with his team, I will personally be monitoring him and will step in if things become too intense." Goodwitch rose her eyebrows as she heard this come from her colleague and notice a hint of determination in his voice. "From what I have seen there will be trials that he will have to overcome, but it won't be impossible for him." Ozpin stood there for a few moments before nodding his head.

"I will allow this," Ozpin said before slightly narrowing his eyes. "Speaking of which, did Mr. Arc say anything of interest? The fight with Mr. Black clearly states that something major has happened to him." Oobleck stood rigid for a moment as he looked to his boss and let out a short huff.

"Ozpin, you and I both know I cannot and will not say anything on the specifics that occur during his appointments," Oobleck said with a stern tone and his eyes narrowed at the headmaster. Ozpin stood there without a response for a few moments before letting out a short breath and headed to his desk.

"Very well," Ozpin said as he sat down. "I must say though that Mr. Arc is clearly not the same as he once was." Oobleck and Goodwitch looked at the headmaster until Oobleck spoke up.

"Mr. Arc is going through what we all have gone through at some point in our lives. The only difference is that he never had any preparation before facing the horrors that awaited him." Goodwitch let out a huff and looked to the doctor.

"Preparation to kill someone or preparation to become a huntsman? We all have seen his means of entering this school." Goodwitch said with confliction written across her face.

"Yet he prevailed in both returning home and surviving in harsh conditions," Ozpin said as he looked to Goodwitch, trying to justify and defend the blonde student in question. "Not only that, but he forced the top student in his year to function at her fullest and passed that test as well. I can safely say he is physically qualified." Goodwitch's hands tightened a bit as she looked down slightly.

"That doesn't mean his mental state is qualified." no one spoke for a few moments as Goodwitch said this. "Nor does it account for his current relationship amongst his teammates and friends." Oobleck nodded in response to this.

"That is why they will have to learn to catch up to him." Ozpin and Glynda looked at the doctor quizzically and Oobleck straightened his glasses. "It is ironic in a sense, that the person that came to this school with no combat experience has to teach his peers what it means to truly face the challenges of being a huntsman," Ozpin smirked at Oobleck's way of explaining his claim while Goodwitch said nothing.

"Very well. Now that we have established this, I have some more information about Mr. Arc that I would like t-" Ozpin was cut short from his sentence as a familiar vibrating noise emitted from the headmaster's scroll. Oobleck and Goodwitch waited for the headmaster to decline the call, but grew confused when they saw a frown across Ozpins lips. Oobleck's curiosity got the better of him as he looked at the scroll and saw the caller I.D. and just like Ozpin, a frown formed on his face as he saw that the video call was coming from Alexander Arc. "That is the sixth time today," Ozpin mumbled. Oobleck scowled at this and looked to the headmaster who let out a sigh and decided to answer. As he did this, Ozpin put his scroll on his desk and a projection of Alexander Arc appeared. The blonde man was sitting at a desk as well but the background was filled with warmer colors as well as lower frills of banners being visible along the frame of the screen, most likely banners of Alexander's family symbol. The man's posture was tall and broad with his arms folded, but what stood out was the indignant smirk that was plastered on the man's face.

"I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to reach you Ozpin." Alexander's deep voice carried and ambiance that had no effect on the headmaster, but caused Oobleck and Goodwitch to glare at the man.

"Well, you have succeeded in reaching me," Ozpin replied. "So, could you explain the reason for this call?" Ozpin took a sip of his coffee and slightly narrowed his eyes. "And do please make it quick. I'm in a meeting at the moment." Alexander seemed to ignore this last comment as his blue eyes locked onto Oobleck.

"Barty. It's been a while." Oobleck said nothing as Alexander chuckled. "Still retelling the mistakes and failures of Remnant to children, I see." Oobleck didn't give Alexander the satisfaction of an honest and unhinged response and instead, remained impassive.

"Indeed, it has been a while. Graduation to be exact." Oobleck responded while straightening his glasses. "Nevertheless, I can't say I'm surprised to hear from my old leader again." as the doctor said this, Goodwitch shuddered at the memories that plagued their Beacon years.

"Why is that?" Alexander replied in an attempt to egg on his old teammate, possibly in an attempt to bring back the old attitude within their interactions. Oobleck held no emotion in his face as he looked to Alexander.

"Well considering that your son has gained a name for himself, I would safely assume that the topic you want to discuss is about him." Alexander laughed loudly and clapped his hands as he leaned back in his chair. The three of them were not pleased in the slightest.

"Always one to consider the obvious and use common sense!" Alexander said with a hint of humor in his voice. "That's why we decided you to be the one to come up with our plans during missions Barty." Ozpin noticed that Oobleck's fists tightened when Alexander said this, and Oobleck glared at the man.

"What do you want with Mr. Arc?" Ozpin said as he tried to defuse the one-sided tension in the room. Alexander disregarded his laughter and leaned forward a bit. However, his smirk never left his face.

"Ozpin, you know what I'm going to say," Alexander responded, and Ozpin said nothing. "Jaune is a disgrace, a fake, a failure, and if these past viral videos of him have shown anything, we can add insane to the list of degradations that in turn, taint the Arc name. Not only that, my position on the Vale council is being questioned because of his past endeavors, which is never a good thing." Goodwitch's grip on her riding crop tightened to a degree where the handle was starting to form indentations. Nevertheless, Alexander continued. "My wife and I have agreed to have him removed from Beacon and have him return home, so he can be contained to a private mental institute until he's well enough to reintegrate into society." The professors and the headmaster only glared in response and they also saw the snide look Alexander gave Oobleck when his former partner, Maria Arc was brought up.

"Did you two agree on having him return home and be put in a mental institute?" Oobleck asked as he took a step forward. "Or did you just tell Maria that you would have him return home?" Alexander's smirk faded into a frown and Oobleck looked to him.

"Before you say anything else to degrade one of my students," Ozpin interrupted with a stern voice. "I will simply decline to your request." the frown on Alexander's face soon formed into a scowl and Ozpin continued. "Not only do you have no say in the matter as a huntsman or a member of the Vale council, due to having no power when it comes to the guidelines of Beacon's enrollment, but you have no power as a father as well." Ozpin finished and Alexander leaned forward in a means to intimidate, though proving to be fruitless.

"Do enlighten me Ozpin," Alexander growled and Ozpin leaned forward, challenging the councilman.

"If you were a proper father, you would know that your son turned eighteen during his disappearance." Alexander's eyes slightly widened and the three of them saw his fists tighten in anger. "This, in turn, makes him a legal adult in the eyes of Vale and therefore, allows him to have full jurisdiction of his life and the choices he makes. He chose to return to Beacon and he has chosen to stay. Any legal action you would like to initiate will be mute due to you having no power over his life anymore." Ozpin leaned back, satisfied with laying out the truth to Jaune's father.

"Then his funding will be cut along with any aid from the family." It was Oobleck's turn to chuckle now and Alexander looked to his old teammate after he said this.

"You certainly haven't been in touch with Beacon, that is for certain." Before Alexander could retort, Oobleck continued. "Beacon Academy financially supports their students in full and if needed, gives them an allowance for supplies for their weapons and day to day life. Not to mention, removing his funding will make him even more reluctant to be involved with his family. Do you honestly think Maria will be happy to hear that her son has become even more distant?" Alexander said nothing for a few moments before looking at Ozpin.

"You of all people know Ozpin, I will have what I want." with that said, Alexander ended the call and Ozpin let out a sigh of frustration.

"Should we inform Mr. Arc of this?" Goodwitch asked and Oobleck nodded before Ozpin could respond.

"I will tell him in time. Alexander would either be impatient or stupid to act on anything regarding his son as of this moment." Oobleck said as he straightened his glasses. "And if that man cares about one thing, it's keeping face." Ozpin looked to the doctor and couldn't help but empathize with him when it came to the issues of Alexander Arc.

"Very well," Ozpin said. Oobleck and Goodwitch took this time to head to the elevator and take their leave. "Before you go, however," Ozpin said as the two faced him. "Keep an eye on him. I've been told that not all is what it seems to be when it comes to Mr. Arc." Oobleck and Goodwitch looked to each other for a moment, not sure what to make of what the headmaster said. Nevertheless, the two nodded and headed off. Leaving the headmaster to prepare for whatever Alexander had planned for them and Jaune.

The two professors descended from Ozpin's office in silence and both acknowledged the uncomfortable atmosphere. Goodwitch looked to Oobleck who had said nothing since his declaration to help Jaune Arc.

"That must have been rough," Goodwitch said and Oobleck looked up at her with some confusion written on his face. "Facing Alexander again, even after what he said to us right when we graduated." Oobleck looked down with a hint of sorrow expressed on his face but nodded once more.

"Indeed, it was difficult, to say the least," Oobleck responded. "However, that shouldn't hinder my efforts in helping our students and despite my anger towards him, I don't regret what I said." Goodwitch smiled as Oobleck said this while somewhat smirking. "You and I were the ones that endured the most on that team. Not to mention that you have my sympathies, I would never have the patience to be that bastard's partner." Goodwitch genuinely laughed at this, she always did when Oobleck swore or had any sense of vulgarity in his attitude.

"Nevertheless, we endured his bullshit he called leadership for four years," Goodwitch said as the elevator doors opened and the two walked to the teacher's lounge. "If we could deal with that, we can endure whatever he throws at us." Oobleck nodded in response to this.

"Even after learning about Mr. Arc's methods of enrollment, he has still kept my respect for dealing with that man for an entire childhood and adolescence." Goodwitch subtly shuddered at the scenario. "But now the best we can and should do is help him if and when he needs it." Oobleck noticed the confliction in his fellow teacher and he put a hand on her shoulder. "I know the transcripts bother you. But like it or not, he needs our help. You and I are the only ones who truly know how Alexander is and no one deserves that man as a threat or an irritation, let alone a father." Goodwtich said nothing for a bit until she nodded. "With that being said, I have to prepare for tomorrow. I hope you have a pleasant evening Glynda." Glynda smirked at this and looked to the doctor.

"You as well, Bartholomew," Goodwitch said. Oobleck nodded and with a breath, sped off down the hall and to his office. Goodwitch snickered at her old teammate's antics and headed towards the lounge, hoping to have an easy-going night.

 **With Jaune**

"SHIT! PISS! FUCK!" Jaune yelled as the spare handgun he was using exploded in his hands. Ruby was with him and held her hands over her ears as he screamed his profane words. The two were researching the ratio and format of the ammunition Jaune's hand cannon used and tried to incorporate elemental, specifically fire, dust into his arsenal. Needless to say, the process was becoming harmful and tiresome.

"I think the mixture was wrong," Ruby said softly while Jaune was holding his hand that now had a severe burn. Jaune, in response, looked at her with a hint of irritation.

"What gave it away? The gun exploding?! SWEET OUM THIS HURTS!" Jaune screamed and Ruby sighed at this. Accidents like this weren't frequent but they weren't uncommon either. Ruby took this moment to grab the first aid kit on her workbench.

"Jaune, calm down." Ruby noticed that the blonde's eyes looked a little frantic as he saw the smoke emit from his burn. Ruby acted fast and put some ointment onto his hand. The frantic expression soon turned to relief as he kept his eye on his hand and Ruby smirked. "The ointment activates your aura in a specific area, relieves burns on contact." Jaune sighed in relief as Ruby said this and she put her hands on her hips. "Well, we can cross that mixture off the list." Jaune chuckled in response.

"Thank Oum for that," Jaune said as he took the piece of cloth that he always kept on him and wrapped it around his burn. He chuckled a bit as he noticed that he had a stab wound on one hand, and now a burn on the other. "Also, I'm glad you had a spare that we could use. Imagine if we tested a larger caliber?" Ruby shuddered at this and Jaune couldn't help but laugh at her expression, only to follow up by wincing at the burn.

"It will take some time to fully heal but you can still fight," Ruby commented and Jaune nodded. "Well, the good news is that the overseer of the workshop knows how to manufacture more of the bullets you use. You still have to pay a bit of lien, but its discounted for students." Jaune nodded and felt a sense of relief go through him as Ruby told him this. "However, we can't seem to incorporate dust into the ammunition." Jaune nodded and couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Ruby looking serious when it came to weapons. The blonde walked over to her and patted her head.

"Don't worry about it. Progress was made. That's all that counts." Ruby grinned at this and Jaune joined in as well. "You want to call it a day? I think that dinner is about to start." Jaune said as he looked out the window to see the deep hues of sunset, indicating that the day was coming to an end. Ruby eagerly nodded and the two began to clean up her workbench.

"Whats with the bandage?" Ruby asked and Jaune looked her quizzically. "The cloth you always have on one of your hands." Ruby elaborated and Jaune's eyebrows rose in realization.

"Oh," Jaune replied and lifted his hand to show the bandage. "It came with one of my many souvenirs from Columbia." He said and he showed Ruby his right hand that had a scar through the middle of his hand. Ruby looked a little shocked at how relaxed Jaune said this but decided not to sound too surprised.

"Alrighty," Ruby said as she tried to veer the topic elsewhere and Jaune noticed this, but didn't dwell on it as he put some tools away. "So, are you excited for the dance?" Jaune perked up a bit as he heard this come from Ruby and he turned to face her.

"Dance?" he asked and Ruby looked at him quizzically.

"OH!" Ruby exclaimed as her eyes widened. "You weren't there at the end of class yesterday. We have a dance coming up this weekend. The night before our first missions." Jaune's posture straightened in surprise and he smirked a bit.

"Sounds fun," he replied and finished up cleaning his area. Ruby nodded in response and the two headed out of the workshop and walked toward the mess hall. The two walked in silence for a bit but noticed the glares and whispers that were all aimed at Jaune. The two paid no mind to this and soon opened the door to the cafeteria when Ruby spoke up.

"Are you going to go with anyone?" Ruby asked as they headed over to grab their food. Jaune paused for a moment while cocking an eyebrow while giving her a knowing glance. "Jaune, hate to burst your bubble but I'm not asking you to go with me. I'm just curious." this sudden answer from Ruby made Jaune reel back just a bit and soon followed by laughter.

"Had me scared there for a second there, crater face," Jaune said as the two grabbed their food and headed towards their teams that were eating without them. Yang noticed the last part of their conversation and a Cheshire grin grew on her face.

"How did my sweet sister scare someone like you?" Yang joked and the others soon caught notice of this question. Ruby and Jaune sat at the ends of the table and next to their partners. The only difference was the noticeable disdain on Jaune's face as he passed Pyrrha. Jaune's attitude changed for the better as he looked to the blonde brawler.

"Your dear sister was confusing me," Jaune said to Yang who leaned in to hear what else he had to say. "She was sounding like she wanted to ask me to the dance this weekend." a mocking gasp could be heard from Yang and a groan came from Ruby.

"OHHHH! THAT IS SO CUTE!" Yang said as she looked to her sister who decided to hide in her hood.

"All I asked is if he was going with anyone!" Ruby shouted but sounded muffled due to her hood and Yang began to laugh.

"Relax Ruby," Yang said as she looked to Jaune. "Yeah, Ruby is going to tag along with me after Weiss and I finish preparations." JNPR looked to the brawler with some confusion and she brushed this off. "Weiss and I are setting the whole thing up since team CFVY is on their mission." Yang then sternly looked to her partner who was quickly eating her food. Jaune noticed this as well along with the bags under her eyes but decided to not dwell on the detail. "Blakey over here is too cool to go, though," Yang commented and Blake scowled in response. Everyone looked to her but soon let it go.

"Renny and I are going together!" Nora exclaimed as she swallowed a bit of her food. Jaune looked to his teammate and smirked a bit while resting his palm on his chin.

"Together-together?" Jaune asked and saw that Nora turned beet red at this. Ren gave Jaune a knowing glance and the blonde knight backed off in respect. Ren nodded in thanks as Jaune did this.

"P-money is still an unknown," Yang said out loud and Jaune noticed the sly glance Yang was giving him. "Most likely still on the market." this remark made Pyrrha flustered and she attempted to say something in defense but was soon interrupted by Weiss.

"She'll find someone else. Besides, I'm sure Arc has better plans like drinking by himself." the heiress commented and this struck a nerve with Jaune. However, he noticed that she backed off a bit due to the glare Ruby was giving her. Jaune felt the tense atmosphere creep up amongst them all and decided to speak up in order to defuse whatever tension that resided around them.

"Your probably right." Jaune shrugged and began to eat a bit of his food. "No one really comes to mind when it comes to potential dates." Yang looked to the rest of his team and noticed some very interesting details. Pyrrha seemed to deflate as he said this, Ren remained impassive, but knowing how the champion felt on the matter at hand, Nora however, had a knowing expression aimed towards Jaune with a hint of optimism that soon followed with a slight glare towards the heiress.

"That's right!" Nora chimed in. "Jauney told me that being interested in anyone was off the table! We can kiss lady killer goodbye and that also means you can sleep easy tonight, Schnee." Everyone at the table sans Jaune stopped in their tracks and looked at the bomber wide-eyed. Weiss was the worst as they noticed her grip on her silverware tightened. During their time knowing the bomber, not once had Nora regarded Weiss in such a cold way. To the group, Weiss's last name was a disdain to what they believed in and to see one of the most optimistic people use that term and yet remain cheerful was baffling, to say the least. What confused them, even more, was that Nora wasn't intending to use that name in a degrading manner, as if she always called Weiss that. Yang quivered a bit when she saw the fury grow on the heiress's face and decided to jump back to the topic at hand.

"Really Vomit Boy? No girl catches your eye?" most of the attention turned back to Jaune who was taking a sip of water from his glass. He set his glass down and shook his head. Confusion formed on his face however as he saw Yang smirk towards him. "Not even this Elizabeth person that we're hearing about?" Pyrrha went wide-eyed as Yang said this. The rest of the table remained silent as most were confused at who Yang was referring to. Ruby, Weiss, Nora, and Ren were dumbfounded in a sense that whoever this person that Yang mentioned was never brought up prior to this while Blake did her best to stay out of what was happening.

An eerie silence was Yang's only response as the two teams looked to Jaune who was wide-eyed and his grip on his drink tightened so much, that the glass that he was holding was starting to crack. From what his friends could see in his eyes, there was a combination of confusion, shock, and unadulterated rage that was building up within him. Nora was the first to notice this and was about to step in, in an attempt to end the topic then and there.

"Jaune Arc?" an unknown voice called out and the seven were forced to look away from the blonde in question to see who was asking for him. Ruby grew a smile on her face and stood up greeting the stranger that came up to them as Jaune slowly turned to face the source of the voice. He looked to his right and saw three students standing before him. One of them was Mercury Black who had a cast wrapped around his right shin and the other student at his side was a girl with mint green hair with red eyes. Her complexion was darker than the others and her attitude felt a little off. If Jaune had to describe it, artificial would be the most accurate term. What caught Jaune's attention, however, was the one leading those two. Her hair was pitch black and her amber eyes bore into him while a smirk danced across her lips. Her uniform was pressed in a neat fashion but still didn't shy away from her curves. If Jaune was any other man that hadn't just been stunned by what Yang asked him, he would admit that she was attractive.

"Y-yes?" Jaune asked with a shaky voice. The leader cocked an eyebrow at his stutter while Mercury scoffed a bit. The only other reaction was a concerned look from Nora, who knew that this Elizabeth person was a very sensitive subject and this new confrontation was not helping in the slightest.

"I'm Cinder Fall," she said and followed by gesturing to the mint-haired girl. "This is Emerald," she then chuckled a bit and gestured to Mercury. "And you already know Mercury." Jaune nodded and turned back to his food, attempting to force down the anxiety building up within his system.

"Can I help you?" Jaune asked somewhat rushed as his friends simply watched on. Cinder's expression stayed at a smirk as she took a step forward and leaned closer to Jaune.

"My, I just wanted to apologize for what happened in combat class yesterday." Cinder said as her words were genuine, but her tone was used in a mocking fashion. Nora glared at Cinder but the leader didn't notice or didn't care. "As a fellow leader, I hope you can understand the frustration that comes with managing a team, especially when something like yesterday occurs." Jaune didn't look to her as she said this. Instead, he focused on his plate in front of him, absent of all emotion.

"Why apologize? I'm the one who shot him." Jaune questioned and Cinder snickered at his question. The others at the table were starting to feel that she came to their blonde leader for more sinister reasons.

"Despite that fact," Cinder said. "It was unwise of my teammate to provoke you as such. Considering your mental state." everyone at the table was shocked for the third time in the span of five minutes as Cinder said this. Anger began to rise in Nora and Pyrrha as they saw Cinder's eyes narrow toward Jaune, indicating that it was not a compliment in the slightest. "I'm surprised that you were allowed to fight-"

"Just keep your lapdogs on a tighter leash and leave me alone," Jaune growled as he interrupted Cinder. The attention was back to Jaune as he said this and this comment caused Mercury and Emerald to grow angry.

"The hell did you call me?!" Mercury shouted as he got closer to Jaune. In those moments. The blonde knight shot up from his seat and turned to face Mercury. Unadulterated fury was engraved into Jaune's face as he glared into the transfer student. The entire mess hall went silent as the two stared each other down, but noticed that Mercury was slowly backing off.

While everyone was stunned at this sudden confrontation Pyrrha was starting to feel scared at the sudden but vengeful attitude that Jaune was portraying to them all. In her head, the champion couldn't help but feel guilty for even bringing up that name to Yang, knowing something like this could happen. Before she could do anything to help her partner, her eyes widened as she looked at Jaune's right hand. A slight orange hue outlined his hand while it was vibrating at high frequencies along with being fractured and cracked, just like the time in the parking lot of the motel. That, along with the look in his eyes indicated that things were going to escalate once again.

"Now, Now." Cinder said as she separated the two. Jaune noticed when she did this, that mercury took a step on his right leg, directly putting pressure on his injury. His eyes narrowed at this and soon turned to Cinder. "After what happened, do you really think that another fight would be wise?" Jaune looked to her for a few moments and to everyone's confusion, leaned close to Cinder's ear.

"My mental state may be unstable to some extent," Jaune hissed in a hushed tone. "But that doesn't mean I'm stupid." Cinder's smirk remained on her face.

"Do tell-"

"Your lapdog's injury is bullshit, and so are you," Jaune said, and he saw that Cinder's eyes slightly widen. The blonde knight couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction when her smirk morphed into a frown. Cinder stepped back a bit and looked to Mercury, indicating him to back off.

"Very well." Cinder said as she turned the other way and with her lackeys in tow, she exited the mess hall, leaving Jaune Arc standing there with a furious fixation. It took him a few moments to truly calm down and when he did, he began to clean up his area and was about to leave. He paid no mind to his teammates who were most likely worried but couldn't help but close his eyes in frustration when Pyrrha spoke up.

"Where are you going?" she asked, concern apparent in her voice. Jaune didn't look at her. Instead, he cleaned up the rest of his food and turned to the door.

"Getting some goddamn air," Jaune said with anger residing in the undertone of his voice. Pyrrha couldn't say anything more as he quickly made his way to the exit. Once the doors closed behind him, murmurs and other sounds soon filled the room, along with hushed insults aimed towards the blonde knight. Before anyone at team RWBY and JNPR's table could do anything, Nora slammed her hands down, irritation was prevalent as she glared at the other six teammates and friends.

"Team meeting. NOW."

 **With Cinder:**

The three transfer students made their way across the campus in silence. Confusion and a slight sense of fear were apparent in Cinder's subordinates due to the tense atmosphere. Cinder said nothing as she opened the door and let herself into her room. Emerald and Mercury made her way in and as soon as the door shut, Cinder yanked Mercury by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

"What the hell?!" Mercury shouted as he recoiled from the pain. Cinder's grip remained tight as she glared at the assassin and let out a slow breath.

"He saw you step back on your right foot." Cinder hissed and the two lackeys became shocked when they heard this. "Not only that, but he called us out." Cinder let go of Mercury as he slid to the ground, somewhat dumbfounded at the stupidity that he had committed. Cinder walked to her bed with a subtle but frustrated look. "Emerald." the girl's shoulder's tensed when she was called upon. "You told me that we didn't need to worry about him due to his mental state." Emerald shuddered as Cinder said this. "You said yourself, that his psyche was extremely damaged. So how is it that he has proven your claims wrong?" the sheepish nature that Cinder despised and yet, loved to revel in appeared once again on Emerald as she looked to her superior.

"I-I can't see their thoughts Cinder," Emerald internally shivered as she saw Cinder's glare become more intense. "I can feel what they're feeling internal. That's how I create their illusions." Cinder rolled her eyes and sat down while opening her scroll, updating the blonde knight to top priorities.

"And what did you feel?" Cinder asked somewhat sarcastically as she looked up to Emerald who was becoming much more nervous. It took her a few moments but the thief spoke up.

"He felt broken. Mismatched. Things weren't adding up during that fight." Emerald said as she gestured to Mercury. "One minute he was calm and collected. The next, he was vicious and unhinged." Cinder was about to interrupt but Emerald continued on. "At the end, he felt terrified, but not in a submissive sense." Cinder cocked an eyebrow at this as she looked at Emerald.

"Like a cornered animal?" Cinder asked and Emerald's only response was a nod. Cinder remained silent as she looked at her scroll. When it came to the student body, they were either ignored by most or have befriended the few that noticed the three of them. Due to Jaune Arc's disdainful attitude towards them and his apparent speculation that the three were not who they seemed to be, their plans became much more complicated.

"So, what's the plan, boss?" Mercury spat with disdain while rubbing his shoulder. Cinder scowled towards him and she crossed her legs while searching through her scroll contacts. If memory served her correct, she should have a solution to her problem. Her mouth curved into a smirk as she saw the contact she needed.

"We stay the course and don't provoke Mr. Arc." the two were either confused or angry at her statement, but not missing her playful attitude when she said his name. Before they could say anything, she gave the two a glare to silence them. "Despite his suspicion, his so-called friends can't trust him, which renders his accusations mute to the entire student body." Cinder then dialed a number on her scroll and her smirk remained on her lips. "Not to mention, we may just have a way to remove him from the picture altogether." Emerald was about to ask what she meant but was cut off by Cinder as she talked into her scroll. "Watts? Yes. I need you to pull some strings with a certain councilman."

 **With team RWBY and (J)NPR**

The walk to JNPR's room was filled with silence as Nora took the lead. From what they could see from her, she was not pleased with what happened with what happened in the mess hall and what concerned them the most was that she hadn't said a word since then. Instead, she remained silent and her calm but cold demeanor basically forced all of them to follow her to their dorms. If they had to confess, her stern tone when she called for a team meeting shook them a bit, especially Ren. In all this time knowing her, she had never acted like this, and he couldn't help but feel frustrated at his leader being the reason why she was acting this differently.

Nora stopped in front of team JNPR's room and used her scroll to open the door. Once the door opened, she gestured for everyone to enter. They all noticed the heiress feeling somewhat indignant and reluctant towards this sudden endeavor but all remarks remained unspoken due to Nora's demeanor becoming somewhat intimidating. The two teams filed in and sat among the various beds and Nora couldn't help but internally giggle as she saw Pyrrha sit on Jaune's bed. Once everyone was seated, the bomber locked the door from the inside and put her hands on her hips as she scanned across the room, eyeing each person individually. Yang and Ruby were more confused than anxious, but their attitudes showed that they were somewhat tense. Blake and Weiss weren't interested in the least, but the difference resided in that the heiress actually seemed focused on the manner at hand. Blake looked as if this was a major waste of her time. Ren remained impassive as always, but Nora knew that his emotions were boiling at this point. Pyrrha however, was more nervous than the others due to reluctance to look at anyone in the eye. Nora narrowed her eyes on the champion and decided to start this impromptu meeting.

"How did you guys find out about Elizabeth?" Nora asked somewhat flatly and they all looked at her with confusion and shock.

"You know her?!" Pyrrha said somewhat frantically. Nora's only response was folding her arms.

"Nope." She said while cracking a grin at the champion, catching the turmoil of her emotions red-handed. "I do know that the name struck a nerve when Jaune heard it from Yang." Nora then looked to the brawler who felt a bit squeamish. "My question is how did this name come up and who knew about it first?" she asked and eyed her fellow redhead. Nora noticed that Pyrrha sighed a bit, possibly in order to keep her composure and she looked up to Nora.

"Two nights ago, when he fell asleep." Nora raised an eyebrow as well as everyone else in the room. "When I told him good night, he replied by calling me Elizabeth. He was too tired to see the mistake." Nora internally sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"And you decided to ask Yang, the one person besides Ruby and myself that cannot keep secrets about this mystery woman that may or may not have strong ties to Jaune?" Nora grumbled while Yang took a bit of offense to that. Nora, in the end, shrugged her shoulders "I mean I'm not surprised. Apparently, Jaune is the only one who actually knows how to keep to himself." This, in turn, made Blake glare at the girl.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blake growled. Nora remained unfazed by Blakes threatening nature and instead of answering with words, the bomber walked over to Blake and with a quick jab, Nora pulled off her ribbon, showing Blake's true heritage. Nora cocked an eyebrow as the ribbon rested in her hand and this, in turn, forced Blake to stand down after a few stuttered cries. After a few moments, Nora gave back the bow and walked back to the center of the room, making sure that all were focusing on her.

"Things have been frustrating as of late, and not on our behalf." Nora started and could see the objection in each of their eyes. "But there's a difference between frustrating times and letting things get out of hand. And from what has been shown, we haven't been helping as much as we should." Ruby was about to object to this but grew quiet when Nora gave her an understanding nod, knowing that Ruby had been trying to be on good terms with Jaune.

"We have been!" Pyrrha exclaimed, grabbing everyone's attention. Nora looked unsatisfied but this didn't stop the champion. "Every time we try, he just pushes us away!" Nora said nothing as she saw Ren backing the champion up.

"I'm going to have to agree with her Nora," Ren added. "Every time we try to help, he either becomes aggressive or has made things worse. It's become nearly impossible to act as a full team." A huff of assertion was heard from Weiss as Ren said this.

"Finally. People that are making sense." Weiss said while siding with them. "Ever since he came back he has been nothing but trouble for us all. I would think you of all people would know this Nora." Nora remained unfazed as Weiss brought up the incident involving her near-death experience. Ren and Pyrrha remained assertive as the heiress said this, despite the slight irritation in Ren due to using his partner's peril to prove their point. Nora stood there with her arms folded and looked to Ruby, Yang, and Blake. Ruby was in no way, agreeing with the other three, and Nora could see that. Yang looked conflicted but decided to side with her sister on this matter, trusting the rose's judgment. Blake was too out of it to truly pick a side and along with the revelation that she hadn't been as secretive with her Faunus heritage as she thought she was. After Nora looked at the other three, she turned back to her opponent and let out a short chuckle.

"Well if Schnee here wants to use the past to prove her point, I guess I'll do the same," Nora replied, resisting the urge to smirk as Weiss became irritated at the use of her last name. "The first thing we all did when we discovered his scars was force him into a corner and making him spill what happened to him, giving him the warm welcome that he oh so deserved." Sarcasm dripped off her words as she said her last sentence. There was no pause and no opening for any of them to object "What do we do next? We stand to the side as his father who I would assume is a grade-A asshole berated him with insults and took his sword, a weapon he used to survive on his own for a whole month." Nora internally cheered as she saw doubt creeping into Pyrrha and decided to keep going. "Not only that, but I called him out on his drinking in front of his friends and family and we all know how that turned out. Following that," Nora then pointed to Pyrrha. "You provoked him when you two made it to his motel room. A place he most likely used to try and cope with the past month that he is trying to put behind him. You honestly thought that he would just get his things and leave without a trace?" Nora noticed the realization dawning on the champion but decided to not stop. "We also can't forget his own personal rules that Ozpin forced on him, basically cutting him off from all means of his personal way of coping with what happened. So, him being on edge would be an understatement." Nora then gestured to Weiss. "And since you're so confident in your statement about what happened in Vale, let's bring up how I got into that situation in the first place. An arms dealer that YOUR team provoked took chase after you all and we decided to help you out, as friends should. After realizing the help you had, you brushed us off and doubted us. Once the fight got out of hand, and I…" Nora paused for a moment, trying her best not to think too hard about her heart stopping. Ren noticed this and was about to step in, but the bomber put her hand up, indicating him to stay where he was. "I was thrown out of the fight, he came to me and did whatever he could to bring me back. And that is much more than I can say about you." Nora's eyes narrowed a bit at Weiss who looked angry at the moment. Nora then threw her arms in the air, clearly frustrated with her friends. "And after THAT, we blame him for me being in the infirmary, not you four who caused the chase, not Torchwick who punched me across the underpass, not the White Fang for supplying the paladin, but Jaune. The only person that actually saved me!" Ren stepped forward, clearly uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the room.

"Nora, he-"

"I swear to Oum Ren, if you try and justify this I will break your everything," Nora growled, clearly angry at her so-called friends. She then walked up to her partner and jabbed a finger into his chest. "After everything you and I have been through, I thought you could relate to Jaune when it came to unwanted memories," Ren visibly flinched as Nora said this, indicating that she was right on her claim. "Instead, you force him to spar with you so you can most likely take your anger out on him and that was your goal in mind, wasn't it?" Nora's hands were on her hips as she scowled at her partner. "Well, I'm sorry that I was in danger, something that huntsmen and huntresses are prone to!" Nora ignored the uncomfortable tone in the room, along with the conflicted looks on Ruby, Yang, Blake, Pyrrha, and especially Ren. Clearly, they were having a hard time grasping the hard reality of the profession that they were all pursuing. "And last but not least, blindsiding him by mentioning this Elizabeth that he clearly holds dear." the guilt on Pyrrha was apparent as she realized what Nora meant. "Maybe she was someone he lost in Columbia! We saw his scars! Maybe she was killed for all we know! And bringing her up idly, along with some student's suddenly bullying him, you honestly thought that he was just going to sit there and take that treatment? I WOULD HAVE LEVELED THE ENTIRE MESS HALL IF I WAS IN HIS SHOES!" Nora was beyond furious as she finally ended her rant. Her fists were tightened to the extreme as she glared at the ones that were against her. "Now how in the hell was all of that helping him? Because from what I've seen, we are the ones pushing him further away." Nora saw that Weiss had enough of this as the heiress reciprocated with an angry look of her own.

"It's his fault in the first place!" Weiss exclaimed as she was now a few feet from Nora. "If he'd known his place, he would have never come to Beacon from the start, which would have never caused his kidnapping and now having to deal with his endeavors like the pathetic drunk he is!" Nora's anger subsided for a few moments as the others looked at the two in their stand-off. The bomber folded her arms and looked at the heiress for a few moments before chuckling a bit.

"I thought I was the stubborn one." Nora slightly growled. "After everything that he's overcome, after proving himself to the student body and to the seven of us that he belonged here, you still dangle those useless papers in his face." Weiss was about to retort but was silenced by Nora interrupting her. "Just you saying that proves that you're the most idiotic one here Schnee, and also proves you can't stand Jaune being better than you in the slightest." Weiss had enough of that name and attempted to slap Nora, this action was fruitless as the bomber caught Weiss by the wrist. There was no follow up in an act of self-defense on Nora's behalf though. Instead, the two stood there while Wiess remained furious.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Weiss screamed at Nora, who only flinched at the extreme volume of the heiress's voice. "ARC CALLS ME THAT NAME ONE TIME AND NOW YOU USE LIKE YOU'VE ALWAYS CALLED ME BY THAT NAME!" Weiss was seething through her teeth while the others were unsure of what to say or do. Nora however, refused to let go of her wrist.

"Why not?" Nora retorted with frustrated sarcasm. "Why not call you by the name you've been acting like?" everyone including the heiress were confused at this question. "The entire month he was gone you were getting better. You were working well with Ruby, tolerating me, and even okay with the fact that one of your teammates is a Faunus. But, ever since Jaune came back you've been acting like how you were on your first day of school!" Weiss's eyes widened with frustration at this truth. "You think I didn't notice that?! Why do you think we stayed away from you during the first week of school?! It was Jaune and Ruby that wanted us to eat together and it was them that wanted us all to get along! Jaune showed me who you truly are. THAT is why I call you Schnee." Weiss remained silent as Nora said this, indicating that Nora was right about her accusation. Nora then lets go of Weiss's wrist and walked over to their door. She opened it and soon looked to everyone. "If you don't agree with what I just said and think that Jaune is a lost cause, please be my guest and leave." Nora looked to her teammates and the rest of Weiss's team. "If you actually want to help Jaune and not make things worse for all of us, then please stay and listen to my plan to help him." Nora looked around the room as it was cloaked in silence and saw that everyone seemed keen on staying sans the heiress. Weiss rolled her eyes and stormed out of the room.

"You're all fools," she growled as she passed Nora. The bomber said nothing as this happened and soon looked to the rest, non-verbally asking them if they wanted to follow her. No one moved for a minute and Nora closed her eyes while having a gentle smile on her face.

"Alright then," Nora said as she shut the door. "Let's get to business."

 **With Jaune**

"MOTHERFUCKER!" Jaune roared as he kicked the door that leads to the rooftop off its hinges. After what had happened in the mess hall, he decided that he wasn't angry at what happened. He was downright furious.

 _"I will admit, I did not see that coming,"_ the voice said somewhat surprised as Jaune was seething through his teeth. His hands were balled up into fists and in a fit of rage, Jaune slammed his fist into the wall, creating a cracked indentation in the concrete. _"My question is how did they find out?"_ Jaune wished the voice in his head would just die as it began to chuckle. _"Knowing you, you probably spilled that little secret unknowingly, or maybe, they found your photo of when you lovebirds spent a week in Paris?"_ Jaune shook his head, knowing that he kept his photo in his pocket at all times. He made sure that no one had seen it, not even Nora.

"I wouldn't know," Jaune replied and couldn't help but feel livid at what had happened. He was completely blindsided in a matter of seconds by Yang, but the worst aspect of that sudden encounter were the memories that flooded through his mind as soon as Elizabeth was mentioned. Memories of dancing on the boardwalk, laughing to each other's stories while finding shelter during the nights in Columbia, their time in Paris, and unfortunately, the morning he woke up alone. It all came back in droves, and he had no idea how he kept his composure for that long. Not to mention that Cinder and her lapdogs didn't help in the slightest. If it were up to him, Mercury's head would be split in two while Cinder's trachea would have been crushed under his foot. But instead, he had to hold back. Honestly, he felt like he was holding back ever since he came back to Remnant.

"Jeez, Jauney Boy. You're really convincing the school that you're batshit insane." Jaune snapped out of his angered state for a moment and his eyes focused on the source of the voice. His eyes narrowed soon after realizing that it was Cardin Winchester that said this. He was in his uniform and was sitting along the edge of the roof. "You may want to tone down the voices in your head shtick." Jaune wasn't pleased by this and he took a few steps forward.

"What do you want Cardin?" Jaune asked flatly and Cardin genuinely scoffed at his question.

"You tell me," Cardin replied. "I was just up here minding my business when you decided the door would be your next victim, along with Nikos and that transfer student." Cardin chuckled as he saw the realization slowly creep up onto Jaune. "Not to mention swearing like my dad when he's on his fifth glass of whiskey." Jaune looked to Cardin who was letting his legs dangle off the edge of the roof while gazing out onto Beacon.

"What are you doing up here?" Jaune asked, trying to subside his anger, which earned him a chuckle from Cardin.

"You're not the only one who is dealing with leadership issues, Jauney Boy." Jaune's eyes narrowed as Cardin called him by the nickname that he despised. After a short chuckle, Cardin sighed a bit and looked down, most likely where his room was.

"Really?" Jaune asked as he walked up to Cardin while putting his hands in his pockets. "I would just assume that you would strong-arm them into helping you." Cardin glared in response to Jaune's jab at his pride.

"Well, sorry to disappoint." Cardin somewhat growled. "But apparently my team wanted me to rat on you by telling Goodwitch about your way of getting into Beacon," Jaune said nothing as Cardin said this. Instead, the blonde kept looking out into the distance. "I wouldn't budge on the topic, and they decided to squeal on you. Did nothing due to the school finding out? This was about a week into your search." Jaune decided to listen more and sat down six feet away from Cardin.

"Well, what happened?" Cardin laughed at this, but Jaune noticed that he over exaggerated.

"They kicked me out of my room," Cardin said and Jaune was caught off guard by this.

"Is that even legal here?" Jaune asked genuinely concerned. Now that he thought about it, Jaune hadn't really seen Cardin around the campus. Only during classes and he was usually in the back, quiet beyond belief. Cardin shrugged at this and shook his head.

"Beats me," Cardin replied. "Despite them being spineless, they know how to work against someone in numbers. Russel, Dove, and Sky threw me out of my room and I now sleep in one of the abandoned classrooms on the far side of campus. Stole my mattress back the other night and that's where I stay." Jaune said nothing as Cardin laid onto his back, looking up at the stars that began to decorate the sky.

"Well, if you talk to Ozpin about this-" all Jaune received was a hard glare from Cardin. Jaune sighed at this, knowing that Cardin's pride prohibited him from any form of help from the faculty.

"Not only that but being the resident bully has its consequences." This made Jaune snort at this, and Cardin cracked a grin.

"No shit," Jaune replied. "I bet Velvet hates your guts." Cardin's eyes softened a bit as Jaune said this, and the grin he had morphed into a frown.

"She actually doesn't," Cardin muttered, and Jaune cocked an eyebrow at this. "After the Ursa incident, I actually apologized to her." Jaune became very interested to know how this went. "Her team then proceeded to beat me into a pulp. I still don't know how she feels about all this." Jaune understood that feeling completely when it came to not knowing how someone truly felt about him. Before Jaune could say anything, he heard Cardin laugh a bit too hard considering what they were talking about.

"I don't get the joke," Jaune said flatly as he looked towards his classmate, and Cardin calmed down a bit while waving him off.

"Just realizing that things went a one-eighty for the both of us." Jaune cocked an eyebrow at this and Cardin went on. "Your teammates fear you while mine don't want anything to do with me." Jaune looked to him for a moment and then looked out to Beacon.

"They don't fear me." Jaune started but a snort could be heard from Cardin.

"That's bullshit, and you know it Jaune," Cardin said as he sat up from his laid position. "I was in the audience the day you fought your partner as well." Jaune looked at him with confusion.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Jaune asked, and Cardin slightly looked at him.

"I don't know how zoned out you get when you fight, but we were scared shitless when you laid the smack down on Nikos." Jaune's eyes slightly widened as he heard this and let Cardin continue on. "We all thought you would stomp her face in. Now think how she's been acting around you. You honestly think that your victory didn't affect her?" Cardin let out a sigh as he then looked to Jaune directly. "We're classmates. I don't follow you, but I do see the looks your friends give you. Besides the hyper ginger, all of them are scared of you, not to mention Nikos. I bet her dad gave her shit due to her first loss." Jaune was now completely confused as Cardin said this.

"The hell does that mean?" Jaune asked, and Cardin continued to look at him.

"For a guy who was given the role as leader, you sure are clueless on your teammate's backgrounds." Cardin chuckled and continued. "Pyrrha Nikos is the daughter of Perceuss Nikos and Ana Nikos. She's also Mistral's poster child for the council members and the wealthy." Before Jaune could ask how he knows this Cardin looked to him, indicating to shut up. "My dad is close friends with them. I knew her when we were kids." Jaune mouthed an 'Oh' and Cardin nodded. "They're hoity-toity assholes though. What do you expect out of a champion that let his power go to his head? So, imagine his reaction when his little "Invincible Girl" is beaten by the son of Alexander Arc? Not only are you the son of their rival and the Vale council but you also had no combat experience when you started here." Cardin finished as he cocked his eyebrow, leaving the blonde dumbfounded at this new discovery.

"Sweet Oum," Jaune muttered as everything that Cardin laid out to him made sense. It was a hard truth that was tough to swallow and Jaune just sat there, not knowing what to say.

"That's what I mean by fear," Cardin said while he shrugged a bit. "Like I said, one-eighty turn for the two of us. Having a scared team is better than having no team at all though." Jaune looked back to Cardin and he sulked a bit. "They haven't talked to me since ditching me in the Forever Fall. Not only that, but combat grades haven't been up to par as well. Goodwitch is thinking of dropping me anyway." The two sat there in silence as Cardin said this and in those moments, Jaune didn't feel pity, he didn't feel sympathy or sadness either. Instead, he saw himself a little bit over a month ago. He saw the same depression that crept up Cardin's back along with the burden he was carrying on his shoulders. No one was there for him and no one would. Why would anyone want to associate with a coward and an assumed bully? What could they gain from a person like the one Jaune was looking at?

"My point is Jaune, I want to ap-" Cardin was cut off as Jaune turned away from him and fiddled a bit with something. Before Cardin could ask what, he was doing, Jaune turned back to him with two lit cigarettes in each hand. Cardin cocked an eyebrow at this and soon smirked. "Isn't smoking bad for us?" he asked sarcastically and Jaune chuckled at this.

"Shut up and take it. Lord knows we both need it." Jaune replied and Cardin plucked one of the cigarettes from Jaune's hand. The two sat there, finding relief in their puffs and both letting out a relieved exhale after a few moments. "Thanks for the sob story," Jaune remarked, and Cardin looked at him flatly, which made Jaune stifle his laughter while gesturing his classmate to take it easy. "Calm down, I get it." Cardin nodded a bit, and after a few moments of silence, Jaune got up from his seat. "You sit out here every night?" the blonde asked, and Cardin nodded. Jaune stood there for a few moments with a look of contemplation on his face and let out a sigh. "Meet me here tomorrow night, and I'll give you some pointers on fighting." Before Cardin's pride could get the better of him, Jaune looked at him with a stern persona. "Don't think for a second I'm pitying you. I know you want to be a huntsman despite the setbacks. Either you can sit here and eventually drop out, or you can actually put your macho shtick aside to get some help." Jaune looked to Cardin who was just sitting there, and in those moments, Jaune could understand how it felt for Pyrrha when she offered him help and how his pride got in his way. For some reason, he just hoped that history wouldn't repeat itself.

"Well," Cardin grunted and a smirk appeared on his face. "Any excuse to fight you is better than nothing," Jaune smirked at this and Jaune offered his hand out. Cardin accepted this and Jaune helped him up to his feet.

"Get some rest and meet me here after my meeting with Oobleck. Bring the mace as well." With a nod from Cardin, saw his cue to leave and nodded as well, all while heading down the stairs, back into the Beacon hallways.

"Well… that was something." Jaune let out a sigh of annoyance as he heard this remark within his head. "Well I mean it could have ended with you throwing him off the roof considering the history between you two." Jaune noticed that no one was occupying the hallways, considering that it was almost curfew and decided it would be safe to talk.

"I just don't want history to repeat itself. This place could be Hell incarnate especially for someone with his previous ego." Jaune replied and the voice snickered.

"I thought that title was reserved for only Columbia." the voice sneered and Jaune frowned.

"That's different and you know it," Jaune growled back as he put his hands in his pockets and his eyes softened as his fingers felt the photo that he always kept in his pocket.

"On a different note," the voice said with a hint of intrigue in its voice. "What are you going to do about your teammates finding out about you know who?" Jaune closed his eyes for a few moments, doing his best to subside the frustration and anger that was boiling within him.

"I'm going to ask how they found out about Elizabeth, and it depends on their answer," Jaune replied and the voice sounded confused. Before it could say anything, Jaune arrived at his dorm room and noticed on his scroll that curfew was now in effect. After swiping his scroll on his lock, he opened the door and was a bit surprised to see his team along with Blake, Yang, and Ruby huddled around Nora's desk. The six of them turned to him, and a sense of relief filled the room, along with a tense undertone. To their confusion, he said nothing as he went to his closet and began changing into more comfortable attire. While he was changing into a comfortable long sleeve shirt, he could feel their eyes on his scars, and he did his best to not squirm at their gaze. Once he changed his shirt, he turned back to them with a somewhat stern expression and folded his arms.

"I'm going to ask this only once," Jaune stated, and the others said nothing as they looked at him. "How did you find out about Elizabeth?" Jaune shuddered and couldn't help but cringe as he said her name, and he saw that Nora noticed this. There was a silence in the room that could be described as deafening and after a few moments of that silence, Jaune raised an eyebrow when he saw his partner step forward.

"You called me that name when you fell asleep." Confusion was apparent on his face, and Pyrrha went on. "The night we agreed to not be at each other's throats. I told you good night, and you responded with calling me Elizabeth." Pyrrha made a mental note never to say that name in front of him again as she saw a sudden but intense pain in his eyes as she said that name. "That's all we know." She finally said, and Jaune stood there for a few moments. To their surprise, he let out a breath of relief and ran his hands through his hair.

"Sweet Oum," Jaune said in relief. "I thought that you or Ren went digging through my things." Pyrrha frowned at this for a moment and decided to ask what has been on her mind for the past few days.

"Jaune," she started, and Jaune looked to her, "If you don't mind telling us, who is Elizabeth?" Jaune's relieved expression turned back to turmoil as he headed back to his bed.

"She was someone I knew in Columbia. That's all I can say." Jaune replied somewhat flatly. Pyrrha was about to somewhat protest to this but was stopped by both Nora and Yang.

"No worries Jauney," Yang said with an upbeat attitude. "We actually agreed on something as well." Jaune became confused as the brawler said this and she gestured for Nora to step up. The bomber was standing in front of Jaune as he was sitting at the edge of his bed.

"I made them agree to not bother you about anything you've been through unless you bring it up first." Nora quickly explained with a toothy grin and Jaune was somewhat shocked at this. "It's time we actually help you." Jaune couldn't help but smile at his teammate and the others smiled along with this sans Pyrrha, who was still internally conflicted with the blonde knight's past. She decided that despite wanting to help, she needed to know what happened. She just hoped that Jaune hadn't caught on to that as of yet.

"Thanks, Nora." She jokingly brushed aside his thanks and chuckled a bit.

"Please. It's no biggie," she said and noticed the knowing glance that Ren was giving her. She frowned for a bit but decided, in the end, to not let it affect her. Her attention turned back to Jaune and a sly grin that resembled Yang's smirk appeared on her face. "Buuuut," she said and Jaune raised an amused eyebrow while crossing his legs and folding his arms.

"Yes Nora?" he asked and couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the question that was building up within her.

"I think that someone such as yourself shouldn't go to the dance on Saturday by himself," she stated and Jaune noticed the amusement on Ruby and Yang's face.

"What do you have in mind?" Jaune asked and couldn't help but notice that Nora looked over to Pyrrha, who was starting to slightly blush.

"Weeeeelllll," Nora said slyly and was about to say something until the ringtone of a scroll went off. The others were confused by this and looked at their scrolls to see if it was theirs that went off. All but one saw a blank screen and Jaune noticed a frown form on Pyrrha's face. Nora was about to ask who it was but was interrupted by Pyrrha.

"Pardon me, I have to take this." Jaune noticed the worry and anger that was building within Pyrrha as she headed out into the hallway to take her call. Once the doors closed, the others looked at each other with confusion.

"I hope everything's alright," Ruby whispered to Yang, which the blonde brawler nodded. Blake remained impassive and decided to take the time to go on her scroll and look up something that Jaune decided not to press on. He then looked back to Nora and saw that her smile still remained on her face and she carried herself with a sense of accomplishment. He didn't know why but he couldn't help but feel relieved, happy, and grateful for such a teammate.

"And you said at the motel that they wouldn't take me back," Jaune whispered to himself, referring to the voice in his head. He froze slightly as he saw Blake's cat ears twitch as he said this and the drowsy Faunus looked at him with confusion. Jaune looked to her as well and before they could say anything about it, the door to their room opened and they saw Pyrrha standing in the doorway. What confused Jaune, however, was her flat and frustrated expression that she held on her face. Everyone saw this, and Yang decided to speak up.

"What's up P-money?" Yang asked as the champion walked passed her and to her bed. Pyrrha set her scroll on her desk and sat at the side of her bed, still haven't said a word since she left. Jaune decided to put all strife against her aside for a moment and spoke up.

"Is everything alright?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha slowly shook her head and looked to him.

"Apparently, my father received a request and came to an agreement with his friend from Mistral," Pyrrha said and Jaune cocked an eyebrow at this. "That agreement entails me to go to the dance with Louis, without objection."

 **The Next Day**

"That does sound troubling, to say the least," Oobleck said as he set his thermos of coffee to the side. Jaune nodded in response and took a few moments to collect his thoughts after explaining what his partner had told them last night. Needless to say, they all objected to this but knew that nothing could be done. Jaune decided to stay away from the subject and how he felt about the matter until he told Oobleck about it, which was a wise decision. "How does Ms. Nikos feel about this?" Jaune was snapped out of his stupor as Oobleck asked this, and the blonde knight sighed. Knowing downright how she felt.

"She hates it," Jaune replied and followed up by chuckling a bit. "I saw the metal legs on her bedframe warp beneath her as she was falling asleep." Oobleck nodded in response and Jaune leaned back a bit in his chair. "Not to mention her spar with Cardin today. I know that he and I aren't the best of friends, but I feel sad for anyone who becomes the filter for her anger." Jaune said as he couldn't help but wince when Pyrrha unknowingly used her semblance on Cardin's armor which nearly crushed him.

"Louis has been a nuisance to her and a few others around Beacon as of late. It started as soon after he and his fellow transfers came to learn here, about two weeks into your disappearance." Jaune cringed as he thought back to then. Halfway through the month was when things became the most intense. His and Elizabeth's turning point if he would have to call it anything. Jaune then noticed that Oobleck grew a quizzical expression. "You do seem concerned to say the least." Jaune cocked an eyebrow at this and before he could ask anything, Oobleck continued "Last time I recall, you and Ms. Nikos are not on the best of terms." Jaune deflated a bit as he heard this and looked down, bracing himself to endure more issues involving him and Pyrrha.

"Well, I'm trying on my end," Jaune said, refusing to make eye contact with Oobleck. "I thought she was as well." Oobleck leaned a bit forward.

"That is until I told you what she informed me about?" Oobleck asked and Jaune nodded. "Why does that bother you so much?" Jaune's hands balled up into fists and he gritted his teeth.

"It wasn't her place to tell you." Jane somewhat growled, not at Oobleck, but at the issue at hand. "We agreed that I wouldn't be cryptic and try to be more involved in our partnership, and she wouldn't push, nor say anything about what had happened." Jaune noticed that Oobleck wrote something down in his notebook and looked back to the blonde.

"Are you embarrassed by her actions? Frustrated perhaps?" Oobleck asked and Jaune shot up from his chair.

"I'm tired of people prodding into my life!" Jaune shouted. "I don't say anything for a reason! Then Pyrrha comes along and blabs to you about things that I would rather have the faculty not knowing!" Jaune seethed a bit as he said this and Oobleck remained impassive to his outburst. Jaune looked at him with confusion and Oobleck gave him a knowing glance. The same glance that he gave him last session when he became angry. It took a few moments but Jaune finally sat down, a little more collected than before.

"I understand the feeling of your trust being strained, believe me, I know," Oobleck said to Jaune. "But you have to understand, you went missing, your friends assumed the worse and sought to find you no matter what. So, to discover that you came back from a traumatizing experience, it is only natural to want to know what happened to someone they care for." Oobleck didn't let Jaune speak as he continued on. "And ask me this Mr. Arc. Would you have ever told me about the physical and mental scars you carry along with your previous habits of downing fairly large quantities of alcohol?" Jaune felt frustrated beyond belief at this and yet, knew the answer. "Remember Mr. Arc, honesty is the key to helping yourself. You will not lose anything by lying to me, nor will you gain anything." Jaune sat there for a few moments, looking down at his shoes along with the rest of his school uniform and let out a sigh.

"No, I wouldn't," Jaune responded. Oobleck spared no moment in responding.

"Why is that, Jaune?" The blonde knight perked up as Oobleck called him by his first name and noticed that his glasses were off. A look of concern yet conviction resided on the doctor's face and refused to move an inch until Jaune responded.

"You can't tell Pyrrha," Jaune replied and Oobleck nodded.

"Nothing leaves this room unless you want it to," Oobleck responded and Jaune let out a breath to reassure himself.

"I don't say anything because I can't," Jaune said and Oobleck cocked an eyebrow. "If I truthfully told Pyrrha or anyone about the month I went missing, I would be thrown into an insane asylum." Oobleck gave him a quizzical expression and frowned a bit.

"You doubt your team that much?" the doctor asked sternly and Jaune winced a bit, but soon looked back to the doctor while taking another breath to reassure himself.

"Would you believe me if I said that you couldn't find me on Remnant because I wasn't on Remnant?" That certainly stopped the doctor in his tracks. Nevertheless, Oobleck decided to go with this and indulge in this new turn their conversation had taken.

"Where were you then?" the doctor asked, and Oobleck and couldn't help but empathize with the look that Jaune was residing in his eyes. The doctor knew he was being truthful but the fear of not being believed in was holding him back. In the doctor's all honesty, it reminded him of the times Alexander used him as a scapegoat. "Like I said Jaune, nothing leaves this room unless you say so." Oobleck noticed the relieved expression in Jaune as he called him by his name and decided to write this down in his notes. He then noticed that Jaune placed a hand against his forehead, indicating that what he was about to say came with a bit of reluctance.

"Columbia isn't on Remnant," Jaune said and took a few moments to think of what he was about to say, not trying to sound too insane by mentioning the detail of infinite realities. "It's a flying city." Jaune braced himself for ridicule or any form of skepticism but all he saw in Oobleck's eyes was genuine interest. "Somehow, the fuel that they used let Columbia reside above us. When I was kidnapped, I was placed in a pod that sent me up there." Oobleck decided to step in at this.

"Then why didn't you take the pod back to the surface?" Jaune scoffed a bit at this.

"Even if I attempted to do that, I wouldn't have the chance. I fainted as soon as I got out of the damn thing." Oobleck frowned at this and Jaune continued. "Next thing I know, I wake up in a garden that leads me to the city. It was supposed to be a utopia, to say the least." This little fact caught the doctor's attention.

"Supposed?" Oobleck asked and Jaune nodded.

"Apparently, it was a utopia for only a few privileged individuals. They were called the founders." Jaune chuckled a bit as he said this. "You would keel over if you saw their way of life."

"Why is that?" Oobleck asked and Jaune smirked.

"If you weren't white, rich, straight, faithful to their religion, or hold any social standing, you were basically screwed." Jaune blatantly said and Oobleck reeled back slightly at both the blonde's vulgarity and the sheer concept of a setting like that. "I honestly thought the SDC was pretty bad with the Faunus, but this took it to a whole new level of hate." Oobleck was beginning to connect some dots and realization overtook him.

"I assume this way of life explains your resentment towards your father, Ms. Schnee, and Pyrrha's parents?" Jaune nodded as the doctor said this. "That is understandable in every sense that you feel that way." Oobleck then checked his watch and noticed that they were going a bit over the mandatory time and decided to stand up. "Before you leave Mr. Arc, I do need to tell you about some things that have come up involving your resented father." Jaune frowned at this and stood up, facing the doctor as the two were now in front of the door that led to the hallway.

"What happened?" Jaune somewhat groaned and Oobleck wished he could blatantly share the same opinion that Jaune had towards his father.

"From what we know, he no longer wants you here at Beacon and instead, wishes you to return to the Arc residence." He saw that Jaune tensed for a bit and Oobleck understood the anxious behavior. "However, he has no power to do so since you are eighteen, therefore able to make your own decisions." a sigh of relief was heard from the blonde and Oobleck smiled as well. "I wanted to inform you of this in case things escalate." Jaune folded his arms and winced a bit.

"Knowing him being the politician that he is, I wouldn't be surprised if that was true," Jaune replied and nodded a bit. "Well it's good that he can't force anything, there's no way in hell I'm going back there." Oobleck did not fail to notice the frustration that was apparent in his voice but decided to focus on that during their next session.

"Just remember that despite where you come from, you are your own person. If someone tries to force you to become someone or something you're not nor wish to be, know that you have that power to refuse." Jaune nodded but Oobleck wasn't finished. "But always be ready to fight for that fundamental right, something that your partner is refusing to do." Jaune realized what he was meaning and nodded once more with the assertion. As Jaune was about to leave, he turned back to Oobleck and saw some confusion on the doctor's face.

"Doctor Oobleck, I want you to be honest," Jaune said and Oobleck straightened himself, ready to give his truthful answer. "Do you believe what I said? About Columbia?" the two were left in silence for a few moments and with each second, the anxiety within the blonde rose.

"While the concept of a flying city is far-fetched," Oobleck started. "Your attitude towards it, let alone your caution considering no one believing you is understandable. In all honesty Mr. Arc, I do believe you." Jaune couldn't help but smile when he said this and Oobleck straightened himself once more. "Well, I will leave you to your endeavors, and I will see you next Wednesday due to your year's first missions as huntsmen and huntresses." Jaune's realized that this was true and nodded as he heard this. "I do hope you enjoy yourself at the dance as well." With one last nod from the blonde knight, Jaune walked out of Oobleck's office and out into the hallway.

Jaune stood outside the doctor's office for a few moments, wondering what he had just said was the right thing to say. Was he too trusting on the matter? Would Oobleck backstab him in the end? As much as he wanted those questions answered, he would have to wait for it. With a breath of reassurance, Jaune headed to his dorm in order to prepare for what was to come. Thankfully, he received no commentary from the annoyance that resided in his head, nor did he run into his partner who would most likely question him on his meeting with Oobleck. As he made it to his room, he checked his scroll for any messages and saw that he received one from Ruby, indicating where they were and what they were doing. He smiled a bit at her invite to dinner but had to decline. He then removed his uniform and saw his outfit he wore in Columbia was residing in his closet. After he put on his favorable attire, the blonde went to his drawer and pulled out his two weapons that he usually used. Despite the threats from Goodwitch, he couldn't help but keep his weapons with him in his room. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep without them in reach; A habit he wished he never picked up.

He fastened his vambrace that housed his skyhook on his left forearm and was about to reach for his hand cannon but stopped only centimeters away. In the end, he decided that close range would be safer than the risk of kneecapping another student, or much worse. With that decided, Jaune grabbed the red sash he always wore and wrapped it loosely around his neck. After making sure he had everything he needed, he nodded and headed back out into the hallway and headed into his desired direction.

To say he was nervous was an understatement. Jaune couldn't help but feel tense as to what he had planned, let alone how risky this was. Teachings from an unhinged survivor that had murdered countless people and is having a hard time restraining said murderous tendencies. Nevertheless, Jaune continued up the stairwell and finally reached the door. Once he opened it, he saw that Cardin was already there. He was in his now dented armor and his mace was resting in his hands. Jaune took another breath and walked up to his fellow classmate.

"Sorry about the armor," Jaune commented to Cardin. The mace wielder turned to him and grumbled a bit, not wanting to remember what happened earlier that day.

"It was a bitch to hammer out," Cardin replied and Jaune chuckled at this, remembering how he just ditched his armor after it was dented and somewhat destroyed. "Just tell her to keep her personal life out of the ring. I'd hate to see what would have happened to someone in a full set of armor." Jaune cocked an eyebrow in confusion and Cardin looked to him with a blank expression. "There's a reason I don't have metal plating covering my groin." Both shuddered a bit as Cardin said this. not wanting to experience that potential scenario.

"She got some bad news last night," Jaune replied while scratching the back of his head. "Involving a certain rich prick as you like to call him." Cardin looked to Jaune with a hint of irritation. Jaune took no offense to this, knowing that irritation was focused on Louis.

"So, he got daddy to do his dirty work and strongarm Nikos huh?" Cardin asked as the two walked to the center of the rooftop. The two squared off against one another and readied their weapons.

"Pretty much," Jaune replied while he activated his vambrace and the skyhook folded out. "I have to admit, I am sharing your views on rich entitled assholes more and more as the days go by." Cardin chuckled at this and without another warning, the two charged at one another. Cardin reeled his mace back and swung down, attempting to hit Jaune square in the head. Jaune dipped to the side and dodged the swing. The blonde then slammed the blunt end of his hooks into Cardin's right armpit, knowing that was an area where his armor didn't protect him. Cardin slightly grunted as he felt this and Jaune jumped back, still ready in a fighting stance. He took a few moments, but Cardin went back into his fighting stance as well.

"Don't reel back your attacks that far," Jaune commented. "I could see it coming as soon as we charged towards one another." Jaune stood up straight and pointed at the weapon. "I get that it's heavy, but try to use shorter swings. You'll be able to get more swings in and keep your body protected by keeping your arms close to your body." Jaune saw that Cardin grew a bit irritated at this but took a few breaths to keep his cool. Jaune smirked at this and began to circle Cardin. "Thankfully he's just a nuisance and nothing more. I try to stay away from the upper class. Always have." Jaune said as he kept walking to the left of Cardin. Jaune nodded as he saw that his opponent was always facing him and trying to not show any weak points.

"Well, being sons of politicians, every action we make matters to them. Don't want to taint their image." Jaune was confused as Cardin said this and Cardin caught on to the confusion. "My dad's a member of the council as well, so I get the feeling of having a shitty father figure." Jaune nodded with understanding and said nothing before another word could be spoken, Jaune bobbed forward and ducked under a horizontal swing from Cardin. Jaune noticed the swing was close to his body and before he could go in for another hit, Cardin swung his mace into Jaune's chest, making the blonde tumble back a few feet. There was a slight pain in the center of Jaune's chest but despite that, he couldn't help but grin at the sudden progress. Without a moment to lose, Jaune charged forward once again and saw that Cardin stayed in a defensive position. Jaune then sent his sky hook straight forward into the middle of Cardin's mace so that the two were at a stand-off. Cardin was overwhelming him and he struggled grunts emitting from the blonde only enforced that testament. Right when Cardin was about to win in the stand-off, Jaune smirked.

"Another thing you should use in combat," Jaune said and Cardin cocked his head. Jaune then pulled his index and middle fingers inward so that the skyhook began to rotate. "Common sense," Jaune said and felt the hooks wrap around the handle of the mace. With a yell, Jaune swung his arm back and threw Cardin's weapon to the side. Before Cardin could follow up with hand to hand combat, Jaune shot his skyhook up to Cardin's neck, barely touching his flesh. "And never let anyone get the jump on you."

The two stood there for a few moments and Cardin soon noticed the bloodlust that was forming in the blonde's eyes. In order to avoid any danger and in a last ditched attempt, Cardin grabbed Jaunes shirt along with his left arm and threw the blonde over his shoulder. Jaune let out a grunt as he hit the pavement and slowly got up. Cardin took a step back and put his arms up to defend himself, thankfully, any sense of harm was absent in Jaune's eyes as he got up and Cardin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. "You were starting to look like when you fought Pyrrha," Cardin said and Jaune's eyes widened in realization. In one quick movement, Jaune removed his vambrace and took a few breaths to recollect himself. "Jeez," Cardin said as he picked up his mace. "That place you at really shook you. Didn't it?" Jaune said nothing, instead, he took a few more breaths to reassure himself and Cardin simply waited.

"That's what near-death experiences do." Jaune soon replied somewhat jokingly, Cardin could still hear the shakiness in his breath but decided not to say anything on the matter.

"Well, no shit," Cardin replied. "That Ursa incident was an eye-opener for both of us." Jaune looked to Cardin with his hands on his knees. "But considering that you were gone for a month, I'm going to guess you nearly met your maker more than once." Jaune chuckled at Cardin's comment while he stood up straight. He then unbuttoned the first button on his collared shirt and moved his red sash to show a massive clump of scar tissue on the right side of his neck. Jaune couldn't help but chuckle as he nearly saw Cardin's eyes bulge as he saw this.

"Sniper caught me off guard and clipped me good. Thankfully my aura helped along with the basic medical procedure." Jaune noticed that Cardin became confused at this.

"You stitched up your own neck?" he asked and Jaune internally winced, knowing that if it wasn't for Elizabeth, that gunshot would have killed him.

"I had help." was all that Jaune said and decided to end the topic at hand. "I think that's enough. If we're going to make progress, we need to do this in baby steps." Cardin remained impassive as Jaune said this.

"That and I don't want to deal with a person that I taunted in the past going berserk on me." Jaune snorted at this, in turn, made Cardin grin.

"Just keep that up and practice on the training bots," Jaune replied. "Next practice will be next week considering the dance and missions." Jaune noticed that Cardin grew a little agitated when he brought this up and the blonde knight folded his arms. "What are you going to do about it?" This, in turn, made Cardin scoff.

"Goodwitch found out about my predicament," Cardin replied and Jaune waited for him to go on. "She said there will be a discussion about my place here after the missions. Apparently, your team and I will be stationed in Vale, doing service work for the people." Jaune stood there for a few moments and realized that it was a wise decision on their part to keep him out of missions that were intense, to say the least.

"What about the dance?" Jaune asked and Cardin waved him off.

"I may show up. A rented tux came with the spare room Goodwitch let me have. What about you?" Jaune chuckled and folded his arms.

"Apparently I'm going into Vale tomorrow and letting Nora pick out my outfit." A loud laughter could be heard from Cardin and Jaune's smirk remained on his face.

"I won't be surprised if she makes you go in a dress," Cardin commented which made Jaune chuckle.

"You wish," Jaune said and Cardin nodded. With one last wave, Cardin headed downstairs and back into the school. Jaune decided to stay out and enjoy the brisk weather. After lighting a cigarette and pressing it against his lips, he decided to check his scroll and saw that Ruby had sent a message, indicating her disdain for him not showing up to dinner. He laughed a bit at the amount of emojis that were in her message and pocketed his scroll without responding. After a few more moments of enjoying the breeze along with the cigarette, he decided to call it a night and flicked the cigarette off the roof, all while turning back to his room so he could prepare for the daunting social gathering that was the Beacon dance. Maybe he was worrying too much and it would be a good time.

Jaune Arc was not having a good time.

In all honesty, he tried. His hopes escalated in fact as he went shopping with Nora after their classes for the week were finished and he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. Apparently, already rented his tux from the school and Pyrrha had previous endeavors that involved the slime that was Louis. Nevertheless, Jaune and Nora spent almost the entire afternoon of that day searching for dresses and tuxes that would suit them well and they came to the final decision of a white dress with a pink top for Nora, and due to most tux stores being sold out of the decent quality of outfits because of the Beacon and transfer students ransacking the stores at the last minute, Jaune had to settle for a basic black suit with a white dress shirt and tie. Unfortunately, the owner of the store, who Jaune swore was the same old man at their dust shop, wouldn't sell unless Jaune bought the full set that came with suspenders and a fedora. To his dismay, Nora loved the look despite him looking like a criminal from a cheesy mobster movie and in the end, Jaune had to settle for this outfit.

For a second, Jaune honestly thought that was where the turmoil involving the dance would end. He couldn't have been more wrong. Along with the fact that he had no date, everyone was preoccupied sans Weiss when it came to tagging along with friends. Nora and Ren were already going together, Yang and Ruby were preoccupied with hanging out with one another and managing the dance, Blake was going with Sun, though Jaune noticed that her attitude had increased exponentially as the week progressed and couldn't help but feel that Yang was responsible for it due to the gratitude the two showed to each other, he refused to go near Weiss even with a ten-foot pole, and Pyrrha… that was something that he couldn't help but refuse to get into. Which led him to where he was at the moment, alone along the side of the ballroom, witnessing his partner go through one of the worst nights of her life.

Jaune didn't know what to think of Pyrrha as he was standing by the punch bowl, cup in hand and silently watching her. For the past hour, Louis had been flaunting her to his friends and acquaintances from the other schools, most likely to show that he was superficially progressing in the world of women and Jaune couldn't help but chuckle as he could see the look of hate, disgust, and frustration resting within Pyrrha. He almost felt pity as he witnessed this but remained impassive due to the unsteady partnership that they had at the moment.

"It's good to see that you're enjoying yourself." Jaune perked up as he heard this and turned to his right to see Ozpin walk up to him. the headmaster wore his usual attire and carried his signature cane and coffee mug. A hint of sarcasm was apparent in his voice and Jaune couldn't help but be amused by this.

"Well, a last-minute suit swindle along with having no one to accompany me to this dance is surely the most sublime way to experience this social nightmare," Jaune replied and saw that the headmaster couldn't help but chuckle at the blonde knight's dismay. "I'm managing as it is. No need to worry." Ozpin looked at Jaune for a moment but then faced the crowd of students, all enjoying themselves.

"I understand coming back from something intense can be difficult," Ozpin said and Jaune looked at him with a blank expression. "Believe me or not, I have made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child that resides here, and I absolutely know that leaving the battlefield can be difficult, especially when the battlefield isn't through with you." Jaune looked to the headmaster while taking a sip from his glass and somewhat nodded at this.

"Your point?" Jaune said flatly and Ozpin looked to the boy. Jaune felt as if he was being scanned by Ozpin's eyes and couldn't help but slightly squirm.

"Enjoy yourself Mr. Arc," Ozpin said. "You know more than any other student in this room what it is like to have something almost be lost forever." Ozpin slightly gestured to Nora who was forcing Ren to dance with a ridiculous grin on her face. "So, don't squander the short moments of joy that you have left. Even if the setting resembles the parties your father forced you to go to in order to boast you to the world." Jaune looked to Ozpin with confusion as the headmaster said this last part. "I was one of the few privileged people to listen to your father brag about you about thirteen years ago." Jaune's eyes widened as Ozpin sarcastically said this and the headmaster began to walk off, towards a broad man dressed in an Atlas uniform, Ironwood if memory served the blonde correctly. "Your missions start tomorrow young man," Ozpin said as he was walking away. "No matter how minuscule the mission is, you should always enjoy what you have before you go out into the field." With that said, the headmaster left, leaving the blonde somewhat dumfounded with the sudden amount of insight.

Nevertheless, Jaune stood there, watching the room somewhat rotate as the students danced in a circular pattern. Being ballroom dancing and all, he could see why but decided to remain on the outskirts of the dance. What did bother him, however, was that the punch was beginning to give him an awful taste in his mouth and he decided that the punch being spiked would end his dilemma. Unfortunately, he had no alcohol on his person and the only things that he carried with him were his scroll, a packet of cigarettes, and his new wallet that he bought while he was in Vale that housed a few lien, and the photo he always carried. Before any unwanted memories flooded through his head, he decided that fresh air would serve him well and decided to head upstairs.

He recalled there being a balcony somewhere on the second floor of the ballroom and his memory served him well as he was greeted with a balcony that showed a pretty good view of Beacon. What made this view worse, however, was one of the few people he was trying to avoid throughout the night was leaning against the railing. It was too late however as Weiss Schnee noticed him walking by and she turned to him, her eyes were narrowed and her arms were folded over her white dress.

"What do you want?" she asked with a hint of dread in her voice and Jaune sighed as he walked up, knowing that there was no way out of this little confrontation.

"Wanted a little privacy. It was getting stuffy in there." Jaune replied as he took off his fedora and let it rest in his hands.

"So, you can get your buzz on?" Weiss degradingly asked and Jaune said nothing. He instead pulled out his pack of cigarettes and raised an eyebrow.

"Not quite," Jaune said as he walked past Weiss and leaned against the railing of the balcony. "I'll wait though. Don't want to hurt those pretty little lungs of yours." Weiss did not take well to Jaune's joke as she gritted her teeth. "Not to mention your date may get the wrong idea if you smell like smoke," Jaune added and this to his confusion, caused Weiss to deflate just enough for the blonde to notice.

"I was just on my way back inside anyway." Weiss somewhat growled. As she walked away from Jaune, he couldn't help himself, he didn't want to do this, but without knowing, his mouth opened and he began to speak once more.

"Ice queen got rejected?" Jaune asked right before she was about to head inside and Weiss stopped dead in her tracks. She slowly turned to Jaune and he folded his arms while leaning back against the rail. He saw the knowing and somewhat hurt expression on Weiss and he couldn't help but snicker at this. "Doesn't feel good when you're on the receiving end huh?" That seemed to trigger Weiss and she stormed toward the blonde. Fury was apparent in her icy eyes and she was now a foot away from Jaune.

"Who do you think you are?" Weiss spat at him and jabbed a finger in his chest. "Some grizzled war vet that thinks he can be welcomed back with open arms? Newsflash Arc, the school hates you." Jaune said nothing on the matter at hand and his expression remained the same.

"That didn't answer my question, Schnee," Jaune said flatly, and Weiss huffed at this. She then turned around and was about to head back but was stopped by Jaune grabbing her forearm. She turned back to him and noticed that he wasn't angry, but frustration was apparent and confusion as well. "Can you just tell me why you're out for my head?" he asked with genuine confusion and he let go of her arm. "Ever since I got back, all I wanted was for things to go back to the way things were. I know that I was a nuisance and believe me, I learned to get over you. But your icy demeanor was heaven compared to what I'm facing now." Weiss stood there for a few moments, looking at the blonde in question, and she shifted her weight to her left hip and folded her arms.

"I didn't have the fairy tale childhood that one would expect, Arc," Weiss said without emotion. "Everything I did was monitored by my overbearing father and ignored by my alcoholic of a mother." Jaune was surprised, to say the least as he connected the dots to her disdain for drinking. "I had to work so hard to leave that place, including how to fight and become a huntress and not just me. Ruby, Yang, Blake, hell even Nora. We all worked for our goals for years on end. After all of my hard work, I'm finally here, free from my family's influence. I finally feel like I have control over my life." Weiss then glared at him. "And you think just on a whim of becoming a hero, you can smooth talk your way into this school and make yourself the leader of a team, degrading everyone who had to work their hardest to try to get here?" Jaune remained silent as Weiss said this and she huffed a bit. "Now ask me why I hate you so much?" With that said, she turned one more time to the door and left without saying another word. Jaune stood there with a flat expression and the only action he made was placing his fedora back on. With a snap of his fingers, a still flame emitted and he lit a cigarette while placing it between his lips.

Personally, he didn't care for Weiss's insults or facts that attempted to put him in his place. She didn't need to know why he chose this life or the methods of entering this school. All that mattered was that he was in and he was going to do his damnedest to survive. That way of thinking worked when he was growing up, it worked when he was fighting for his life in Columbia, and it was still working, despite the entire school giving him an unwelcome attitude. Not only that, but he knew that what Weiss said didn't matter to him in the slightest.

Jaune starred off into nothing as he was facing the doorway that Weiss exited from. He didn't inhale deeply from the cigarette either. He instead let it sit in between his lips and he his mind began to warp. The shading of the building altered along with the design of the building in itself. The banners of Beacon Academy were no more and instead, Jaune saw the familiar red, white, and blue that decorated every building in Columbia. Small statues of Comstock decorated the outside of the intricate architecture and Jaune couldn't help but chuckle as he saw that the building was still smoldering from it once being on fire. He looked at the base of the building and saw two people huddled together, wrapped in a thick banner while a small fire was lit in front of them. The wind whipped at Jaune's coat as he saw the two close together, doing what they could to achieve warmth from the merciless wind. One was a blonde who was absent of his usual vest but his attire was the same as always. The other person was the most beautiful woman Jaune had ever seen, though he hadn't admitted it at the time. Her short brunette hair shined just as usual and her blue and white dress will forever be branded into his memory. What was different, however, was that the blonde boy gave her his vest, indicating that he cared more for her warmth than his own. This made Jaune chuckle as he looked at the two. From what he saw, he couldn't tell if he was in hell due to the environment or in paradise due to Elizabeth.

 _"Jaune?" Elizabeth asked and Jaune looked to her. Even with the thick banner, they used as covers and the fire giving them a remnant of warmth, the winds still sliced them to the bone. Jaune did his best to focus on Elizabeth and shivered just a bit._

 _"Yeah?" he asked as his teeth chattered slightly. Elizabeth gave him a look of concern and grabbed his chin so he was facing her._

 _"I need to ask you something that's been on my mind," she stated and Jaune nodded slightly. "It will keep your focus on me and not on the cold. So just stay with me okay?" Jaune shivered a bit and blew into his hands. Even with the Devil's Kiss vigor, he still felt the cold all over his body and the wind didn't help in the slightest._

 _"Shoot," Jaune replied and Elizabeth looked down while pulling the banner up to her chest. Jaune felt some comfort in this and noticed that she hadn't looked back to him._

 _"Why do the Lutecces and Comstock call you the false shepherd? And why do they keep mentioning that you are a fraud, though one with noble intentions?" Jaune looked down as she asked this and before she could say anything, the blonde knight stood up and gave her his side of the covers, letting her relish in the full comfort of their makeshift shelter. "Jaune?" she asked, and Jaune scratched the back of his head while having a conflicted look written all over his face._

Jaune stared at his past self and couldn't help but empathize with him and the position he was in at that time in his life. Here he was, finally coming close to finding a way home, getting closer to Comstock's estate, even taking down Elizabeth's supposed mother who had come back from the dead. After all of that, he was stumped by a simple question.

 _"R-remember when I told you that I was going to a school aimed towards fighting?" Jaune asked and he didn't need to see that Elizabeth nodded to this. "I told you that I was decent at dealing with trouble so I managed to get in?" Jaune took a shaky breath right after he said this._

 _"Jaune, what are you going on about?" Elizabeth asked him and Jaune's hands tightened. It had been about a week and a half since he met her, it was time to end his lie then and there._

 _"I lied, Elizabeth" Jaune stated with a low voice. He refused to turn back to Elizabeth as he said this. "It was all a lie. I made fake records and lied my way into that school." His body shook. "I practically had no experience fighting anyone until I got to Columbia?!" Tears were streaming down Jaunes face, and he was beyond frustrated with himself. "The things I have seen. The things I have done. I never even shot a gun since a week ago let alone kill anyone! I don't even know why I was brought here! I left home wanting to be a hero, but look at me now! I'm just a fool that got way in over his head. Hell, I'm scared day in and day out that I might fall to my fucking death!" He turned around as he finished his sentence and saw that Elizabeth was right in front of him. Without a moment's notice, he felt the cold sting of Elizabeth slapping him across the face. Jaune did his best to remain still but couldn't help the sudden jerking of his shoulders, indicating that he was on the brink of sobbing. Feeling like he lost all her respect, he then looked at her and took another shaky breath. "Elizabeth, please look at me and tell me I made the right choice. Tell me I'm not just a fail-" Jaune flinched as he saw Elizabeth's hand reel back and this time for a punch that never came. The woman in front of him remained impassive but Jaune noticed something was brewing within her._

 _"Don't ever say you are a failure, Jaune," Elizabeth said, and Jaune looked at her wide-eyed. His mouth was quivering, and his whole body was shaking. She decided to go on. "They were right. You were a fraud." Jaune continued to look at Elizabeth and began to ignore the intense winds that were bothering them not even a minute ago. "But chose to stay with me when we got out of my tower. YOU took the explosion for me back when we were fighting Fitzroy. YOU are still here with me now. A fraud and a coward would have turned away from all of this at the very beginning. YOU and only YOU have stayed with me through everything, despite your disadvantages. You even promised me that you would do everything you could to stop Songbird, a promise that you know you can't keep." Elizabeth got closer to Jaune but he remained distant and raw from what he had just told her. "You may have been a fraud, but I trust you and I believe we can survive this. Your proof to that." as she said this, Jaune stood there and felt the anger rise along with the intensity of the Devil's Kiss that was apparent in his hands._

 _"_ _But if it was anyone else, they would be able to take care of these things without effort! We struggled as hard as we have because I don't know how to fight! Any of my friends would be able to handle this. Ren, Nora," Jaune stood there, clearly angry at who he was going to bring up. "Pyrrha." this caught Elizabeth's attention due to the way Jaune's eyes softened into an impactful and sorrowful expression. Before she could say anything, Jaune threw his hands up, clearly ignoring the cold that was covering both of them. "All of them are leagues above me and they would know how to get out of this." Jaune took a few steps towards the railing of building and looked down, seeing the abyss below him. He then turned back to Elizabeth and slid down, sitting across from her. His legs were bent and his elbows rested on his kneecaps while his head was hung. There he was. He had laid it all out in front of the one person that believed in him. At a time, he thought that Pyrrha was that person, but after discovering that he would have been killed by the Ursa without her help, he learned that wasn't the case. He refused to look up as the only noise that accompanied the two of them was the wind and thunder booming in the distance, indicating that a storm was coming. He was surprised to say the least as he felt something lean against his side and he lifted his head to see that Elizabeth was sitting down next to him, her head relaxing in the crook of his neck. Jaune also noticed that her eyes were closed, but a conflicted expression was apparent, as if she was thinking of what to say._

 _"_ _From what I've heard of her, this Pyrrha is considered the best in your school, right?" she asked and Jauned slightly nodded. "And your friends and colleagues are all fighters in a sense. Huntsmen? Is that what you called them? What you wanted to become?" Jaune didn't say anything to this but saw that Elizabeth knew she was correct. "And despite not knowing how to fight or have any training like all your friends, you chose to go anyway by any means necessary." Jaune's hands balled into fists as she asked this and her eyes narrowed at him. "For a smart guy, you are really idiotic." Elizabeth taunted and Jaune looked to her with irritation._

 _"_ _Not suprising that you rub it in." Jaune growled and Elizabeth had enough. She grabbed Jaunes face, one hand on each cheek and made him face her._

 _"_ _Not what I meant." Elizabeth claimed. "Listen to what I said Jaune. You CHOSE to go to that school, despite your disadvantages." Jaune looked at her and the gears in his head started to crank. "Even when you were taken here, you chose to go on. When things got out of hand and Columbia came after you, you chose to survive." Elizabeth fell silent for a moment and looked down at her locket. Despite the conditions they endured, the design of the bird still shined. "And when you crashed through my ceiling, you didn't just choose to let me out, you gave me that power of choice. Something I never had before." Jaune remained silent as distraught was apparent on Elizabeth's face. "Don't you see that I don't give a damn about you being a fraud?! I don't care about where you're from and what you failed to do! You proved to me that we can do this. Time after time, we've endured and prevailed. All because of you." Both were on the verge of breaking down at this time and Elizabeth shook him a bit. "And that's why I'm choosing to trust you, because you could have chosen to run away and abandon me since the very beginning, but you didn't. You chose to stay and help a total stranger." Jaune said nothing to this and instead, pulled Elizabeth into a hug. Jaune's embrace tightened and he felt tears leaking from his face. He heard no objection from Elizabeth and the two sat there, as if their trust in one another merged into one._

The memory faded as Jaune witnessed that tender moment, and the building morphed back into what it originally was. The side wall of the Beacon ballroom. The ambiance of the music echoed all the way up to where he was and he couldn't help but freeze as he returned to his senses. As soon as that memory became lodged into his brain, his heart cringed much worse than any other time before, and Jaune knew why. Without Elizabeth, he was truly alone, something that he was so afraid of back in Columbia. Also, knowing that he was alone in this silent war against everyone at Beacon didn't help in the slightest either. Sure, he had Nora and Oobleck, but their loyalties remained with their friends and fellow faculty, nothing like how Elizabeth was. His heart began to separately race, and in response, he tried to control his breathing. Jaune felt the anxiety throughout his system skyrocket and as this happened, he couldn't help but recall all the strife that came with returning to this damn school.

 _"Starting to regret coming back huh?"_ Jaune said nothing to the inner voice as he was trying to keep his breathing steady. It was a futile attempt however as he let out a gasp and the cigarette fell out of his mouth. Everything that he had gone through, along with the degrading words of Weiss began to surround him, and he had no place to go. _"I told you something like this will happen. But did you listen? Not in the slightest."_ Jaune was keeping himself steady as he put all his weight on the railing and doing his best to not succumb to the panic attack that was occurring. _"You thought things would go your way. Sure, your friends were worried, but once they saw that you changed, they resented you. All they wanted was someone to assert their dominance over. Especially Ice queen. While she was right by all accounts, she still finds the urge to walk all over you, but they know that you aren't a pathetic excuse of a huntsman anymore. No, you're a killer. And right now, you need a fix."_ Jaune stayed in his position for a few moments before getting up. He got a hold on his breathing and closed his eyes.

"You're right," Jaune said as his fists tightened. "I need to stop letting this damn place push me around." He then turned on his heel and headed back into the ballroom.

 _"What are you going to do?"_ the voice asked, and Jaune smirked.

"Something I know I'm good at," Jaune said as he walked down the hallway of the second floor. "Getting shitfaced." Jaune heard the maniacal chuckling in his head but still continued to walk to the ballroom.

 _"It's a start."_ the voice said, and Jaune nodded. He paid no mind to everyone giving him glares or glances of hate as he made his way back to the ballroom. Jaune navigated through the crowd of students and noticed the concerned looks coming from Pyrrha, Nora, and Ruby. He ignored this as he kept his fedora low and stormed out of the ballroom.

He took a detour back to the school lockers and picked up his weapons. Jaune examined them for a moment as he checked the chamber of his hand cannon and smirked, seeing that it was loaded. Despite Vale being a relatively safe city, Jaune wasn't going to take any chances when it came to defending himself. Once that was done with, the blonde headed back to his room to grab his red sash. Despite not caring what people thought at the moment, the less Ozpin knew about this the better and the sash was also a good way of covering his face. Once that was dealt with, he headed out to the courtyard and all the way to the docks where a single bullhead resided. Jaune knew that there was always a bullhead on standby in case of emergencies and this would be his ticket to the city. He made it to the bullhead and saw the pilot fiddling with his scroll. Jaune knocked on the door to the pilot's seat and despite the confusion on the pilot's face, he opened the door.

"Can I help you?" the man asked, and Jaune nodded while folding his arms. He kept his head down so that the pilot couldn't recognize who he was.

"I need a ride into Vale," Jaune said and the pilot chuckled.

"Sorry kid, but I got rules saying that I can't take any students anywhere without a professor's go-ahead after curfew, let alone it being the big dance tonight." Jaune grew a little irritated and noticed that the pilot was eyeing him. "Do I know you?" he asked, not able to see Jaune due to his fedora and sash covering his face. "Despite that, I can't let you g- "the pilot was interrupted when he heard the hammer of Jaune's hand canon being cocked back. His blood went cold, and his eyes widened at the sudden situation he was in.

"Not giving you a choice here," Jaune growled, and the pilot reeled back a bit. "All I want is an hour in Vale. You take me, I get a few drinks, you take me back, and this will be all over like it never happened." Apparently, the pilot had never been in a situation like this before due to him nearly shitting himself.

"S-shit!" the pilot exclaimed and Jaune remained still, with the gun still aimed at the man's head. After a few moments of the pilot pressing a few buttons, the bullhead doors opened and Jaune grinned under his sash.

"Good man," Jaune said and hopped on. He went up to the pilot and made sure the gun stayed on him as well. Sweat began to pour from the man and Jaune cocked an eyebrow. "Fly," Jaune said and the pilot complied. Only a few moments later, the two were in the air and heading towards Vale.

The ride was tense, to say the least. It was tense on Jaune's end due to not letting the pilot freak out and end up with both of them dying in a fiery plane crash. Nevertheless, they landed at the Vale docks safely and Jaune noticed that the pilot's hands were shaking uncontrollably. With a sigh, Jaune pushed his hand cannon into the pilot's side and a gasp was his response.

"Scroll. Now." Jaune said and the man handed him his scroll. Jaune took it and used his aura to crush it with one of his hands. The man couldn't help but whimper as he saw this and Jaune looked back to him. "All I want is to get a few drinks. Nothing more, and nothing less. If you tell anyone of contact Beacon, I will make you wish you had lungs after I rip them out." The pilot nodded feverishly, and Jaune cringed just a bit. He knew there was no turning back now but he also didn't want to scar the man for life. Though, he did believe it was a little too late for that. "Good. Be ready in an hour." Jaune said as he got off the bullhead, leaving the petrified pilot behind.

Jaune removed his sash and pocketed it as he walked down the lit-up streets of Vale. Cars rushed by him, and he could see various people walking about and enjoying their nights. He even walked past a few girls that were most likely hitting up the local clubs and noticed that they were eyeing him. He assumed it was the fancy suit that caught their attention. Even so, Jaune continued to his intended destination and grinned when he saw the familiar lights advertising his favorite place. As he entered the lounge, he couldn't help but sigh with relief as he smelled the comforting scent of good booze and the soothing sound of jazz softly playing in the background. He then walked up to the bar and sat in one of the empty seats and smiled just a bit.

"Good to see you, Ryan," Jaune commented, catching the bartender's attention. The burly, gruff man dressed in a basic white dress shirt rose his eyebrows with surprise and a grin grew onto his face.

"Jaune! It's great to see you!" The bartender said and Jaune smiled at this. "The hell brings you here?" Jaune shrugged in response and gestured outside.

"The school dance wasn't cutting it and I wasn't in the mood to spike the punch bowl," Jaune replied and the bartender laughed wholeheartedly. "Where the hell is Rory?" Jaune asked, and Ryan waved down his nephew. The young man walked up to the two of them and a smile was apparent on Rory's face as he saw Jaune.

"Mr. Arc!" Rory exclaimed and Jaune grinned at the waiter. "It's so nice of you to stop by." Jaune cocked an eyebrow at this and Rory gestured to the somewhat small stage that resided in the corner of the lounge. "We booked a new jazz band to play for us tonight. A couple record producers have shown up for the occasion." Jaune's eyebrows rose as he heard this and a smile danced on his lips.

"Well, shit," Jaune said and handed Ryan a lien card. Get me a glass of whiskey and let's see how good this goes." Ryan was about to comply but was stopped by Rory who had a conflicted look on his face.

"Mr. Arc," Rory said and Jaune looked to the waiter. "A few days ago, we received a message from headmaster Ozpin." The color drained from Jaune's face as he knew where this was going. Jaune looked to Ryan who had a look of shameful realization on his face and the blonde prayed that this wasn't happening. "If we serve you, we are liable, and Beacon will sue us." Jaune looked to the waiter, somewhat agitated.

"I'm eighteen, and no one will know." Jaune slightly growled and in turn, made Rory flinch a bit.

"True, b-but you are a student and in Beacon's custody at the moment," Rory replied. "And we know how Ozpin has eyes and ears everywhere. I'm sorry Mr. Arc, but we can't take that chance." Jaune sat there somewhat slumped as Rory told him this, and Jaune couldn't help but feel angry. He wanted to get it by force at this point, but he knew that Rory and Ryan were only doing their jobs while also being concerned for their and his wellbeing. Knowing this, Jaune nodded and slouched against the bar and pointed to Ryan.

"Soda it is then," Jaune mumbled, and Ryan nodded while giving Jaune a sympathizing pat on the head, to which Jaune grumbled at. Rory looked to Jaune and tried to give his best reassuring smile.

"Well, you can still enjoy the music though," Rory pointed out, and Jaune nodded. After a few moments, Rory looked to Jaune with some confusion. "How did you even get to Vale? The bullheads to Beacon are closed early tonight." Jaune chuckled in response.

"Getting kind of sick of Beacon pushing me around," Jaune said while looking to Rory. "So, I pushed back." Rory's mouth went agape as Jaune said this.

"Did you steal a bullhead?!" Rory exclaimed softly, in order to not draw any attention to the two of them. Jaune somewhat laughed as the waiter asked this and Jaune shook his head.

"Of course not," Jaune replied. "I forced the pilot to take me to Vale. Broke his scroll to make sure he wouldn't squeal." Rory couldn't help but sigh as Jaune took a red sash out from his coat pocket and wrap it around his nose and mouth in a jokingly manner.

"You may not be the wisest Mr. Arc," Rory said and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But you are by far the most memorable." With that said the lights in the establishment dimmed immensely, and the spotlight shined onto the band that was about to play. As this was happening, Jaune noticed the glow of a scroll emit from Ryan's hands and saw that he was sending a quick message. Once this was sent, Jaune saw that the bartender handed Jaune a glass of soda and the blonde nodded in thanks. As Jaune took a sip, his eyes widened as he felt the familiar kick that he grew to love. He looked to Ryan who gave him a knowing smile, and Jaune couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Just to be safe, Jaune lowered his fedora just a bit and wrapped his sash around his face, the last thing he needed was some unwanted eyes telling Ozpin that he was drinking booze. As he took another sip, Jaune saw that the band was setting up their instruments, and a cheerful young woman in a flapper-girl dress came up to the microphone.

"Good evening everyone," she cheerfully said into the microphone. "We are the songbirds, and we hope to help you all have a great night." Jaune nearly spat out his drink and reached for his hand cannon as she said the one word he despised. For a moment, Jaune thought that the damn thing was about to crash through the roof. After seeing that it was only a band name and nothing more, Jaune took a few deep breaths and made sure that he was alright. After the girl said what she needed to say, she went over to the rest of the band which consisted of a guitarist, a bassist, a person playing the clarinet, and surprisingly, an accordion. It's something he hadn't seen or heard since his time back in Paris. Needless to say, he was interested to see what was about to happen. The woman then reached for the microphone once more and counted off the beats.

 **(Play: After You've Gone cover by Jazz Lag)**

Jaune perked up and his face contorted into one of confusion as he heard this song. It sounded so familiar but the accents and the style seemed different. His eyes widened as he began to hear the lyrics and Jaune had to resist the urge to repeatedly slam his head onto the bar. This was one of the songs that he saved on the Voxophone that he picked up in Columbia. It was Elizabeth's favorite song sans the one she sang to that little boy beneath the bar in the shantytown. She would always tell him that it was a perfect song to dance to, and they shared so many dances to this song during their time in Paris.

Jaune's face scrunched up in a bit of disgust due to the song suddenly speeding up in tempo and rhythm. It felt too upbeat and unknown to the cheerful band players performing the song. Jaune was starting to shake his head due to all the memories this song was squashing beneath its feet. He had to admit though, that the voice was very lovely, but only when the song slowed down to a somber pace. The achy attitude and persona of the voice personified the song and that was the reason why Jaune loved it so much. This just seemed so underwhelming to him.

"Something wrong, Jaune?" Ryan asked, and Jaune nodded.

"I hate this goddamn song," Jaune commented and Ryan cocked an eyebrow.

"Don't you think you're being a bit too judgemental?" Ryan asked, and Jaune looked to him. "This is an original song. No one has heard it live until now." This made Jaune sit up straight and look to the band who were performing their hearts out.

"Huh. Constants and variables," Jaune stated, and before Ryan could ask what that meant, he saw that three new customers entered the lounge. Two were people that he was expecting and he nodded to them indicating that what they wanted was here. The other person that entered was a new face that he had never seen before. The woman in question walked up to the bar and sat right next to Jaune, who was too focused on his drink to notice her.

"Scotch," the woman said in a firm voice. Ryan was a little taken back by the sudden order but complied nonetheless. As he went to fetch her drink, Jaune saw that the woman sighed and slumped a bit in her seat.

"Shitty night as well?" Jaune said in a muffled tone due to the sash somewhat muffling his voice. The woman looked to him and couldn't help but feel confused as she only saw his eyes. The fedora and sash covering his face were concealing him well enough for the woman to question this.

"That's some getup," she commented, and Jaune chuckled at this. He took a good look at her and noticed that she looked somewhat stunning, to say the least. She was wearing a skirt that ran to her kneecaps and a white blouse with red accents at the cuffs and the collar. Her hair was medium length and her icy blue eyes were still yet somewhat soft. Not only that, but her overall stature seemed to show that she didn't give a damn at the moment. Needless to say, Jaune was somewhat mesmerized by her.

"I'm not supposed to be here. The owner is alright with me but you can never trust anyone," Jaune replied, and the woman nodded in response. She then looked over to the band playing and one of her eyebrows rose. "Liking the music?" Jaune asked, and the woman looked back to him.

"No," she somewhat grumbled, and Jaune saw that she somewhat slumped in her seat. Despite being somewhat buzzed, Jaune noticed her deflated attitude and decided he had nothing better to do than indulging in this stranger's life.

"Well, what's got you in the mood to get shitfaced?" he asked, and she looked at him with displeasure.

"Why are you interested?" she asked, and Jaune chuckled.

"We'll compare stories," he said, and Jaune took a gulp from his drink from under his sash. "I'm here because Beacon has become a grade A pain in the ass." The woman, despite her reluctance, seemed interested when he mentioned the school and allowed Jaune to continue. "Beacon, the school I go to, has basically blacklisted me from all booze so it has nearly become impossible to actually feel at peace." His companion looked at him with skepticism and decided to indulge in his claim.

"Aren't you a little too young to be drinking your sorrows away?" she asked, and Jaune looked to her. She could feel the cold glare he sent her way.

"With the shit that I've seen, you bet your life on it, hun," Jaune replied and took a moment to hold his head still. "Jeez, whatever Ryan put in here is really hitting home." The woman said nothing as she received her drink from Ryan and took a sip. Jaune couldn't help but laugh at the woman's face scrunched up in pure disgust.

"God, I forgot how much I hated this stuff," she commented, and Jaune propped his chin on one of his hands.

"So why are you here?" Jaune asked, and the woman sat there for a moment.

"Just trying to forget my mistakes," she said, and Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"Why not fix those mistakes?" Jaune said, and the woman sighed.

"I don't know where to start." she quickly responded.

"New to this town?" This caused the woman to scoff at Jaune's question.

"You have no idea," the woman said, and Jaune nodded. He then groaned a bit and began to feel absolutely dizzy.

"Fuck," Jaune mumbled as he felt something resembling a massive headache hit him like a bus. "I thought that the hangovers were supposed to happen after getting shitfaced," Jaune said as he began to lean off balance. In an attempt to clear his head, he tried to stand up but stumbled a bit, spilling his drink to the floor. The woman saw all of this, and instead of hearing her mock him, Jaune saw that she crouched down to his level to help him up.

"C'mon big guy," the woman said as she put an arm around her shoulder. "I think you've had enough." Jaune was about to say something, but Ryan chimed in.

"She's right," Ryan asked and then turned to the woman. "Do you mind getting him a cab or something?" Jaune heard this despite his head feeling extremely heavy, and he looked up to the woman.

"Bullhead…a-at the docks," Jaune said in a drowsy attitude and concern was apparent on the woman's face. She then looked up to Ryan and nodded.

"I'll get him to the bullhead." The woman said and Ryan nodded to this. "C'mon, let's get you home." Jaune chuckled at this as the two headed out of the establishment. As this was happening, Ryan somewhat nervously looked over to two specific customers who were dressed in generic suits but had solid builds, indicating that they worked in the hired hand department. Ryan gestured towards the door and the two men nodded at this. While passing by him, one of the men slid a five-hundred lien card and Ryan couldn't help but sigh at this while washing out the glass Jaune drank from with extra effort.

"What was in that drink?" the woman asked with some annoyance and Jaune made a noise while shrugging. She sighed at this and assumed that someone slipped something into his drink. Nevertheless, she pressed on with a somewhat drugged huntsman in training at her side. "Where are the docks again?" Jaune gave her a cheeky grin and pointed to the direction of the docks.

"New girl, it's all good." The woman rolled her eyes at the masked man along with his fedora and wondered just who this guy was. Despite her desire to know, she decided not to dwell on it due to the trial at hand. The two were somewhat limping down the street, and as they turned a corner, the woman smiled as she saw a lone bullhead stationed at the docks. With a little more urgency in her step, she headed towards her destination with the huntsman in training in tow.

"Excuse me, Miss?" the woman heard from behind her, and she turned along with the masked man at her side and saw two men approach her. Both were in generic suits and ties, and the woman couldn't help but question the detail of them wearing shades at night. "We believe that you have someone we've been looking for." From what she was hearing, their professional attitude sounded like they were the authorities of sorts. "We're going to have to see who he is before you go any further." The woman took a step back and Jaune stumbled along with her, and she gave them a stern look.

"Don't authority figures usually state who they are first before asking questions?" she asked and narrowed her eyes at the two men.

"Miss, just hand the boy over, and everything will be resolved peacefully." The woman looked to the one that she was helping and saw that he was completely out of it. Clearly, handing him over to two strangers wasn't in the cards.

"Until I see credentials, then we'll talk," the woman said as she took another step back towards the bullhead. The two looked towards one another and shared an expression of irritation.

"Very well." One of the men said as he was digging into his coat pocket. As he was doing this, Jaune looked up for a few moments and his eyes slightly widened as he saw that familiar symbol of two crescent arcs on the breast pocket of the man who was digging into his coat. Despite his drugged state, Jaune knew who these men were, and it was enough to make him angry.

"You know." Jaune somewhat slurred as he lifted his arm off the woman's shoulder. He took a few staggered steps toward them and was soon a few feet in front of them. "There are a few things that can truly sober me up." The two men decided not to dwell on this and one placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "And you two are on in the top five of that list." Jaune growled as he quickly ducked under the man's arm and activated his sky hook. With a quick jab, Jaune jammed the hooks into the man's joint that connected his bicep and forearm. After grabbing him by the shirt as well, Jaune shoved the man in front of the other in order to block another attack. Jaune then grew a sickening grin under his sash and squeezed the levers to rotate the skyhook. With a quick motion and a deafening cracking noise, Jaune shattered the bones that resided in the man's elbow and after releasing the skyhook from the broken arm, Jaune kicked his screaming assailant into his partner and retracted his weapon. Jaune could feel his legs start to quake and decided it was time to get the hell out of there. The blonde, along with the woman who helped him, bolted to the Bullhead which was now a few yards away, and Jaune called for the pilot to start the engines. As he did this, Jaune could feel the familiar sensation of bullets whizzing past him but hearing no sound. He assumed that one of them was using a silencer but decided not to focus on that at the time. Jaune then leaped into the bullhead and the woman wasn't too far behind as the pilot immediately flew the bullhead off the ground and towards Beacon.

"Who the hell was that?!" the pilot screamed, and Jaune rubbed the back of his head, but making sure that his fedora stayed on.

"People that you don't want after you," Jaune replied and soon sighed after saying this. He looked at the woman and noticed that there were some tears in her fishnet leggings, along with the rest of her outfit being somewhat tattered. "You okay?" Jaune somewhat grumbled, and she nodded.

"Wasn't the first time I was shot at," She said and as she said this, Jaune couldn't help but feel like he had heard her voice before. He was about to question this but felt whatever was in his system hit him like a ton of bricks. Jaune began to nod off to the side, and the woman noticed this. "Can you hurry this up?" she asked and the pilot grumbled towards her.

"I'm going as fast as I can. And as soon as you drop him off, you head back to Vale immediately," The pilot ordered, and the woman narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't think I don't remember you from a few days ago, trying to get to Beacon without appointment or request." She was about to say something, and the man shrugged his shoulders. "I don't make the rules honey. Though, I can be persuaded like when this bastard put a gun to my head. The woman looked down to the masked man, and he grumbled at this. She decided not to ask about it, and the rest of the flight was shrouded in silence.

Once the two of them exited the Bullhead, the woman grunted as she tried to keep Jaune on his feet. Apparently coming down from adrenaline while being drugged works wonders on the body and not the good wonders.

"Where to?" she asked herself, and noticed that there was commotion coming from one of the buildings. She decided that is where they needed to go. The walk was silent, to say the least, and the woman couldn't help but look at the statue that decorated the center of Beacon's courtyard. "So that's Thadius Arc," she said to herself but didn't notice that Jaune somewhat nodded at this. Once the two of them headed past the courtyard, they arrived at the source of all the commotion. The woman couldn't help but marvel at a number of well-dressed people occupying the Beacon ballroom.

The two of them stood at the entrance, not sure of what to do next, and before the woman could do anything, she heard a name that made her freeze.

"JAUNE?!" She looked at the source of the sudden voice and saw a short girl with ginger hair in a pink and white dress rush to his side. The woman's eyes widened as she slowly looked down to the person that she was carrying and saw the girl remove the sash and hat that Jaune was wearing, revealing the familiar blonde hair and blue eyes she knew too well.

"Y-you know him?" was all she asked, and the girl nodded quickly.

"He's the leader of the team I'm on," the ginger said as she held Jaune's face up and saw the lax stupor that resided on his face.

"What's going on Nora?" The woman looked up to a boy with long black hair and dressed up in a tux walked toward her along with another redhead in a crimson dress, both were concerned due to Nora's outburst. The two students then saw what the bomber's attention was focused on and they rushed to his side as well.

"What happened?! Jaune are you alright?!" the other redhead exclaimed, and Jaune just gave her a cheeky grin while slumping his head down right after. The woman could see anger rising within the redhead and irritation within the other boy, and said boy snapped the woman out of her dazed state.

"Did he go drinking?" the black-haired student almost growled, and the woman decided to step in before things escalated, she also noticed a few individuals that were most likely faculty of the school coming their way.

"He tried, to say the least," the woman said and then looked at the blonde in question. "But then he began to stumble and nearly passed out on me. From what I could see, someone slipped something into his drink." The three students in question went wide-eyed at this. They looked to Jaune who was now completely unconscious and couldn't help but feel shocked beyond belief.

"Are you certain?" The group of them looked to the source of the voice and the woman saw a man clad in dark green attire with silver hair. From what she could see, he was some sort of professor of chaperone and decided to tell him the truth of the matter.

"Considering we were attacked by two men in suits, I would say so." This made the silver-haired man surprised, to say the least along with the others and without a moment to lose, the stranger stepped towards her.

"Miss, would you please come with me and explain your story in detail, if what you said is true, then we may need to open up a case on the matter." The woman looked down to Jaune with an immense amount of concern, and the headmaster noticed this. "Do not worry about Mr. Arc, his teammates will take him to the infirmary." As he said this, Nora took Jaune off the woman's shoulders and began to take Jaune to said destination. As they were taking him away from her, she noticed that something dropped from his person, and instinctively, she picked it up.

"Excuse me," she said, catching the attention of the redhead in the red dress, "He dropped the-" the woman stopped in her tracks as she saw what he had dropped. It was his wallet, but what caught her attention was a photo. That photo made her stop in her tracks and slowly put her left hand to her mouth. She didn't say anything as her eyes bore into the photograph of Jaune and herself in front of the Eifle Tower.

"Excuse me?" the redhead politely said, snapping the woman out of her daze.

"Oh!" she replied. I'm so sorry. Here you are," she said as she handed the redhead his wallet and couldn't help but see the sudden jolt of shock run through the girl as she saw the photo as well. Without a moment to lose, the woman turned around and followed the man who she assumed to be Headmaster Ozpin. He nodded to her while gesturing for her to follow him, and she complied.

"Do you mind if I ask for your name?" Ozpin asked, and she nodded.

"Elizabeth," she said with an assertive tone. "Elizabeth Comstock."

 **Cliffhangers… am I right? I hope you all enjoyed this long ass chapter (almost forty pages) and I hope you'll all like what comes next. However, I have to stick to my guns and the next story to update on my list is my RWBY reacts to Hamilton story, then Reaping with Sorrow. Only after that will I get back into tears of the mind. Anyways, thanks once again to Firestorm808 for editing and helping me with this. Their work is really good and I recommend checking it out. Hope you all enjoy, drop a review or comment, concrete criticism is a major plus and maybe something was overlooked. One thing I will say is that I got Elizabeth planned out, so no worries on that. Other than that, be compassionate and BE FIERCE**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 AND FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!**


	10. Chapter 10 part 1

**It has certainly been a while hasn't it? And on that cliffhanger nonetheless. While it would superficially make me feel better to tell you all my excuses for not posting this sooner, I will simply said that I bit off more than I could chew the past few months when it came to writing this. so instead of seventy+ pages chapter, I will post these in small and doable increments. I have about eighty percent of what I have planned done and it will take a bit to polish but I can assure you beautiful people that the other chapters will come much quicker. Nevertheless I do not own RWBY or Bioshock, they belong to their rightful owners. ENJOY!**

Chapter ten part one: The Wayward Bird's Return

"So? What happened?" Yang exclaimed to Ruby Rose as she had just gotten back from her trip to Ozpin's office.

A sheepish look emerged onto the rose's face as she thought back to last night. During the dance, Ruby decided to opt out to get some air. She soon spotted unusual activity of a masked woman. What followed was an intense fight at the CCT considering they destroyed the majority of the room. In the morning, Ozpin, Glynda, and General Ironwood asked her to come up and see them with her regards on what she had faced which included many questions on the matter.

"Well," Ruby started as she twiddled her thumbs. "I told them what happened to me. They decided to put up a bit more security. The police are even opening an investigation. Nothing completely crazy." Her team was attempting not to sound dissatisfied with the news, but Yang smiled at her sister.

"You're safe," The brawler replied. "That's all that matters."

Ruby squirmed when she felt Yang wrap her in a tight hug. Ruby then had a look of realization, and the other two teammates noticed this as well. "There was one thing," Ruby said as she remembered a little detail that had been bothering her. "They were all acting agitated." Weiss rose an eyebrow at this and looked to Blake who had the same expression of confusion. "Like they had someone else come up before me."

Realization hit Weiss when her partner said that, and all of them noticed her eyes narrowed. "It probably had to do with Arc." The others were confused, so she clarified. "Yang was busy with the dance, and Blake was busy with Sun. Apparently, the dunce decided to get wasted in Vale."

Ruby gasped at this news, and Yang rose a brow. "Looks like Vomit Boy was looking to party a bit harder than all of us."

Weiss rolled her eyes at Yang's comment and decided to go on. "Yang's comment aside, I was there. The oaf had to have some woman carry him back. She claimed that someone drugged him, but I have my doubts."

All eyes widened as the heiress said this and Yang was the only one to respond with a low whistle. "Damn, that's rough. He would probably be in the infirmary if drugs were involved."

Blake nodded at this, and Ruby lowered her gaze with worry in her eyes. "I wondered what happened?" she asked somewhat softly.

Yang noticed the look was returning. It's the same one that she had the entire month Jaune went missing. Her big sister instincts were kicking in at the moment, and she patted Ruby on the shoulder. "Knowing Jaune? He'll be okay." Yang said with a toothy grin.

Ruby smiled in response, but the blonde huntresses in training couldn't help but hear a huff come from the heiress. Yang's eyes flashed red for a split second, but decided not to dwell on it, "I know what will cheer you up, Dad sent a package this morning!" Yang exclaimed as she held out the cylinder package for Ruby to see. That downtrodden demeanor was diminished and replaced with happiness as Ruby squealed in delight.

"Something from home!" Ruby used her semblance to reach out for the package. Yang looked on in amusement and decided to open the box.

With a firm shake, the contents of said package fell out, and the four students looked at the small corgi that popped and let out a bark. All of them jumped back in a combination of shock, happiness, and fear on Blake's behalf.

"ZWEI!" Ruby shouted with excitement as the corgi jumped up into her arms and licked her repeatedly.

"He sent a dog?!" Blake anxiously shouted.

"In the mail?!" Weiss replied, baffled by how that was even possible.

"Oh. Dad does this all the time." Yang brushed off their looks, and before Weiss could say anything more to the dog, they all heard noise on the outside of their room.

"Is it this way? ... Ugh, this place is too large," they all heard a woman say to herself. They also failed to notice the attentive look that Zwei had on his face. Before any of the students could react, the corgi leaped out of Ruby's arms and sped out the open door.

"ZWEI!" Ruby shouted this time in panic and Yang facepalmed. Reluctantly, the huntresses took off after their dog speeding down the hall towards a woman too focused on a small map in her hands. Before the woman could even react, she heard a sharp bark from behind her and turned to see a corgi leap into her arms.

"AAGH!" the woman exclaimed and fell to the floor, all while Zweii was sitting atop her stomach, panting excitedly and wagging his tail.

"Oh no, Zwei!" Ruby shouted as she caught up with the two.

Zwei's only response was a playful bark, and Ruby groaned at this as she picked up her dog. The rest of the team eventually caught up to them, confused at what had just happened.

"I'm sorry!" Ruby apologized as she handed Zwei to Yang and helped the woman up to her feet.

The dazed woman proceeded to brush herself off and let out a breath to compose herself. "It's no worry. Your dog just startled me. That's all." Once the woman looked to Ruby, however, her eyes slightly widened, and she grew closer to the rose, which made Ruby a little uncomfortable.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked somewhat nervously, causing the woman to step back a bit of embarrassment.

"So sorry!" the woman exclaimed as she put her hands up in defense. "I just have never seen anyone with silver eyes before." A realization came over the four students, and Ruby seemed to be at ease due to this misunderstanding being cleared up.

"Hold on a second," the heiress said as she walked forward towards the two of them, eyeing the woman for a few moments. "I saw you last night at the dance. You were the one that carried that mess back to Beacon."

The others could feel the demeanor of the woman change to a negative tone when she insulted Jaune.

"Is there a problem with that?" the woman asked with her arms folded and an eyebrow raised. She's not pleased with the heiress. With the new atmosphere, Yang was the first one to step in.

"Whoa there," Yang said, trying to ease the sudden tension between them all. "I think we got off on the wrong foot." The brawler gave the woman a warm smile, indicating that they didn't want any trouble. It seemed to work as the woman seemed to ease up.

"Yeah!" Ruby chimed in and followed up by clearing her throat and offering her hand to shake. "I'm Ruby. The blonde is my sister Yang, Blake is the one with the bow, and you've already met Weiss." Ruby said the last part sheepishly as the heiress was radiating a cold demeanor.

"Pleasure." The woman said as she looked flatly at Weiss but soon smiled as she directed her attention towards Ruby. "I'm Elizabeth, Elizabeth Comstock." The four of them felt a wave of confusion as they heard that name. Before they could say anything, Elizabeth continued. "I'm starting my new job here. I had a talk with your headmaster and due to some… circumstances, I'll be working as one of the new librarians." Ruby looked at her sister for answers, and all the brawler could do was give her a look that showed that she was thinking the same thing. "Could I ask for help?" she asked causing the four of them to be attentive once more. "I'm looking for JNPR's dorm, and the map is quite confusing." She held up the small pamphlet, and Ruby couldn't help but sympathize with her predicament.

"It's right there," Yang said as she pointed to the opposite door from their dorm. "JNPR are our neighbors. Talk about lucky." Yang said as she laughed a bit at the coincidence.

"Yeah… lucky," Elizabeth responded as she looked to Zwei who barked happily at her.

"They aren't there at the moment though," Blake added. "Ren and Nora said something about getting food while Pyrrha is at the infirmary, watching over Jaune."

"Can you tell me where that is?" Elizabeth asked almost instantly. "I mean, considering that he's the leader and all, it would be better to see him or his partner. Their mission involves helping me in Vale so it would be nice to meet them beforehand."

Ruby nodded in understanding while the other three grew a little skeptical of her explanation, though refused to show it. "Right here," Ruby said as she pointed to the map on the front side of the school. "They keep it close to the front of Beacon so that students could get treated faster if there is an emergency."

Elizabeth gave her a genuine smile before walking past the four of them. "Thank you. Hope to see you soon." Elizabeth headed down the hallway, and Ruby returned the smile. Once Elizabeth turned the corner, Ruby put her hand down and turned to her team.

"She seemed nice," Ruby said while the others were a little suspicious of what Elizabeth had to say. "What's going on guys?" Ruby asked a little worried.

Yang set Zwei down, following up by putting her hands on her hips. "Isn't it a little coincidental that there is a girl named Elizabeth connected to Jaune here at Beacon now?" Yang asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Whaaat?" Ruby nervously said as she tried to brush the question off while heading back to her dorm. "That's a little far out sis," she added on, and Weiss let out a huff, indicating that she wasn't pleased.

"She knew that Pyrrha was his partner, without us mentioning that," Blake added in as she let that tidbit of information sink within them.

"Well considering that Ren and Nora do everything together, I can see that she would just assume," Ruby said, and Weiss was not having any more of this.

"Ruby,-!" she was cut off when the rose turned back to her team, this time with a hardened glare at them all. It even caused Zweii to whimper a bit.

"We promised we wouldn't dig into this, guys," Ruby said somewhat sternly. "For now, we drop it and let Jaune figure this out when he wakes up. Okay?" Agitation apparent in their leader's voice, the three teammates were slightly baffled at the sudden shift. Before any of them could say anything, they heard the chime of Beacon's intercom system.

"Will all first-year students please make your way to the auditorium for an assembly," Goodwitch said over the intercom and Ruby sighed slightly at this.

"We'll talk about this later," Ruby said, and before any of them could object, Ruby headed off to her dorm with Zwei in tow.

With Pyrrha:

The slow movements of the machines that wired to the bed were the only noise that occupied the white stainless room. The ceiling fan remained still, and she persisted on sitting where she was, three feet away from the foot of the bed of her partner, leader, and crush. He remained still and unconscious from the night before. Pyrrha remembered the night when he came back with that woman. His sash and fedora covered his face. At first, she thought he was drunk off his ass.

Anger still resonated within the champion. No matter how hard she tried, she could not take her eyes off the picture she was holding in front of her. For three hours, she sat there, letting her mind run wild on the possibilities. Who was that woman? What was that weird looking tower in the background? For Oum's sake, why were his arms around her waist?! These questions that ran rampant in the champion's mind.

She couldn't believe it. If this happened to anyone else, she would say that it was a string of unfortunate events. Her advice would be to pull through no matter what. Her father taught her that at a very young age. No matter how aggravating her agent was, no matter how obsessive some of her fans became, and no matter how insufferable her father became, she always followed that moto. It had served her well throughout her entire life, but this was just becoming ridiculous.

First, her partner goes missing just after he had agreed to train with her. She thought she would finally get to know the one she admired. That wasn't the case. What followed was a month of never-ending failed attempts of searching for him. It didn't help when half-way through the month, Louis Augustus perversely invade her life again with his flirting and stalking added to the number of hardships. Nevertheless, she kept pushing on. Hopefully, finding Jaune would fix her problem with Louis.

That hope escalated to the high heavens when she saw her partner walk through those locker room doors. He was clad in a new outfit but still keeping his signature sword at his side. In those moments, the overall joy she felt in her soul was beyond belief. It had only been a month, but it was a month of pure hell. Seeing him was the breakthrough she needed.

That sense of joy began to diminish in less than a day as they all started to realize certain things were off about their missing friend. He seemed agitated. He was relentless when she fought him. It was as if he was an entirely different person. He felt cold, much colder than she ever thought he could be. It didn't help when all of them saw the reason why he was so cold. Pyrrha felt a sharp pain in her heart when she saw the one person that she had cared for this much covered in countless scars. Some were shallow while some screamed that he went through a world of pain. She wanted to be there for him to help him heal. She wanted to be his partner for Oum's sake! Sadly, that was only the tip of the shit show that was the changes of Jaune Arc.

For the life of her, she never pictured him taking up drinking. What confused her more was how Nora, Ruby, Blake, and Yang were taking that detail well. Their friend was succumbing to alcohol, and they go on like nothing is new. The harsh truth made her sick. She had no idea how to help him. What does she need to do? He's been back for less than a week, and he nearly lost a teammate in a battle with a giant robot, was berated by his father, and was now hospitalized due to being severely drugged last night in a bar.

The last part was the kicker. While she had an entire month of fear, regret, and sorrow, he's been taking pictures in cities with random broads?! He was relaxing and having a grand old time while his friends and family were panicking beyond belief?! He was looking so god damn happy while she was miserable because of him in the first place?!

"Will all first-year students please report to the auditorium for assembly?"

Pyrrha snapped out of her angered state as the announcement. A grumble escaped her lips as she looked down. Her eyes widened when she saw a sharp crease straight down the middle of the photograph. She panicked as she tried to fix the photo to no avail. Having to leave for the announcement, she begrudgingly set the picture on of Jaune's wallet and scroll. With one last sigh, she looked at her partner. Her eyes softened upon his still form. Worry flowed through her as she could see the amount of unease written across his face. With a downtrodden look, she left the infirmary.

5 Minutes Later

"Took you long enough."

A sense of fury and dread seeped into every crevice of Pyrrha's being as she heard the obnoxious voice that would make screeching nevermore sound soothing in comparison. The champion turned to see Louis Augustus standing there with his arms folded and his signature smugness. His pasty face was causing Pyrrha to gag.

"I was waiting out here for a half hour. You know how dreadful excruciating boredom can be, my little champion?"

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed in on him, and before he could say anything more, she decided to turn and head towards the auditorium.

"Tut tut," Louise called out. "We aren't done talking." He grabbed Pyrrha's wrist, and every instinct in her was screaming to throw him across the hall, to break his arm in four places, and to paralyze him from the waist down.

She knew she could do it. She wanted to do it, but both of them knew all too well that her fantasy wouldn't come to fruition anytime soon. "And what were we talking about?" she growled, causing a sense of fear to flash in Louise's eyes.

False bravado replaced fear in seconds, and his disgusting smirk reappeared. "Why, your misbehavior last night and how your father already knows about it," Louis replied, and Pyrrha desperately wanted to shriek at this. She wanted to tear this little snitch to pieces, and before she could do anything, Louis put a finger to her lips, rendering her silent. "I told you to stay by my side the entire dance, but you couldn't follow one order." An irritating click of Louis's tongue echoed slightly in the hallway. "Your leader must have it rough when it comes to roping you in."

The fury within Pyrrha was only rising at this point, yet she knew what she needed to say. "My partner," Pyrrha started, emphasizing that the topic was remaining on Jaune. "Was drugged. I had to see him," she said, and Louis glared at her.

"No, you didn't," he replied, and Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at him. "You had an image to uphold. Your partner could do without you." His glare morphed into a knowing look, and he took a step back. While rubbing his greasy beginnings of a mustache, he smirked at her. "Considering the word going around, it seems he is thinking the same way." Internally, Pyrrha was confused, and frightened at what he meant by that, but remained unfazed externally. "We all see the distance you two have. Not to mention you coddle him too much." Pyrrha's eyes widened in anger, and she took a step toward Louis with the intent to hurt him, but he simply put his hand out in front of him. "Learn your place strumpet," he growled, and this caused her to stop in her tracks, horrified to be even called that. "Do you want to be on even worse terms with your family?" He then took a step forward and dragged a finger across her hair. "You and I both know the only way that it can get better is if y-"

"PYRRHA?!"

Both students turned their heads down the hallway, shocked and confused at the loud voice that reverberated off the walls. As she looked at the source of the call, Pyrrha tilted her head in confusion at the woman she met the night before and gave her the photo. She was even in her white blouse and skirt from last night. The locket with the bird design was apparent around her neck. The woman she had only met for a few moments confused her as she came running with a look of delight and excitement, a little too much in Pyrrha's perspective.

"Pyrrha I can't believe this!" the woman exclaimed as she embraced the confused champion in a somewhat tight hug. Pyrrha froze at the sudden act of affection and was about to push away until the woman leaned into her ear. "Go with it," she muttered, and the champion almost jolted at the words. A sense of relief overcame her, and the woman pulled back from the hug. "What? You're gone for so many years, and you forget about your childhood friend, Ana?"

Pyrrha internally took a breath, mustering up all the false elation she used in front of the press. "Ana!" she exclaimed with a hint of realization. "I can't believe this! When did you get here?"

The woman rolled her eyes and took a step back, making sure that she was in between Pyrrha and Louis. "I just got here. Heard you were in this neck of the woods and decided to drop by. You know how much I like to surprise people." Pyrrha was impressed with the amount of effort this woman portrayed for her sake and made a mental note to thank her immensely once they made it out of this.

"As lovely as this is," Pyrrha deflated slightly at the sound of Louis's obnoxious voice. "You will have to save your reunion for another time. My beloved and I have a lot to dis-" Louis dreadful excruciating the privilege to finish his sentence as he let out a sharp yelp. Pyrrha looked down to see 'Ana's' heal practically stabbing into his foot, and it took every fiber of Pyrrha's being not to laugh at this.

"Excuse me?" Ana leaned a bit forward, invading Louis's space with a glare. "Do you know how long it has been since I've seen my friend without the press and slugs like yourself slithering around?" Ana leaned a bit more to Louis's ear and placed a hand on his shoulder, making sure she dug her nails in deep. His slight whimper attested to her success. "Now do us both a favor and get out of here before she has to hold me back," Ana growled at this last part and shoved Louis back.

He was about to protest like a child, but he was silenced once more by Pyrrha's savior giving him an icy glare. Without another word, the student let out a huff and proceeded to hurry away, most likely afraid his image would be even more tarnished. Once he had turned the corner, both women let out a sigh of relief and a groan of agitation.

"Thank you so much," Pyrrha said as she bent slightly and put her hands on her knees, letting herself catch her breath as she began to laugh almost uncontrollably. The woman smirked as she folded her arms under her bosom and looked back to Pyrrha who was trying to calm down.

"Believe me; I've met creeps like him. Some easier to deal with and some a lot worse." She soon raised an eyebrow at how much the champion was giggling. "You okay?"

Pyrrha did her best to calm down. "Sorry, so sorry." Pyrrha took a deep breath. She let out a sigh and looked at the woman. "I had only seen that look once before, and it was priceless then as it was now."

The woman shifted her weight onto her right leg and smirked a bit. "Oh?" she asked, and Pyrrha nodded.

"Given there was a swarm of crows that made him run away while screaming uncontrollably that time, this was much more satisfying." Pyrrha grew slightly confused when the woman rose her eyebrows with a sense of realization and not disbelief. Pyrrha was about to ask what she was thinking on the matter but was cut off by the woman.

"Also, the name's Elizabeth. Believe me when I say that Ana is something I'd rather not be called."

Pyrrha internally had to take a moment to process what she had just heard while the woman stood there, waiting for a response. The champion wasn't one for coincidences, but the name had left her baffled. Pyrrha recollected her thoughts and decided to greet her savior from that pathetic excuse for a man. "Pyrrha Nikos," she said with a genuine smile on her face.

Elizabeth's lips curved up into a knowing smirk and she folded her arms. "Believe me, I know about you Pyrrha," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. Pyrrha grew weary of what she meant by that, and before she could respond, Elizabeth chuckled slightly to herself. "Ozpin gave me the run down on you and your team." The confusion within Pyrrha began to escalate, and it appeared that Elizabeth could see it as well. "Your mission involves helping me move my things to Beacon," she added somewhat sheepishly, and Pyrrha widened her eyes in realization.

Their team did receive a notification that they would be based in Vale for their mission due to their leader's current state; it didn't mean that this wasn't surprising however as Pyrrha responded with a gentle smile and put her hands behind her back. "That sounds lovely." Elizabeth once more chuckled. There was a pause for a moment, and Elizabeth grew shocked at the sudden gasp that Pyrrha let out. "The assembly!" The champion began to head down the hall. "I'm so sorry Elizabeth! I need to get going. Meet us in the courtyard after everything is over, please!"

An understanding grin was apparent on Elizabeth's face as she waved her hand back. "See you then!" she exclaimed with glee. Her smile faltered as she soon eyed the door that the champion had just come out of, and Elizabeth slowly proceeded to make her way towards it. Despite no one being around, not that it mattered anyway, there was a sense of caution around Elizabeth. Her heartbeat began to pound against her chest, and as she grasped the door handle, she couldn't help but let out a shaky breath. The first thing she noticed was the overall darkness that engulfed the majority of the room. Elizabeth used the various lights from the medical equipment to find the switch and couldn't help but have an overflowing sense of pain engulf her heart.

There in front of her was Jaune Arc, unconscious and confined to the bed. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw that one of his bandaged wrists was cuffed to the railing. She saw his chest slowly rise and fall with each breath. His blonde hair had grown since she had last seen him, and no matter how she looked at him, she couldn't help but feel a slight ambiance of dread encompassing his form. Even in his sleep, he looked uneasy as if he was dealing with a nightmare, or even a dream that he knew couldn't be a reality.

"I never thought I'd see you cuffed to a bed. You were a vanilla type of guy anyway when it came to that stuff." A slight chuckle escaped her lips and soon went back to being silent. "I talked to your headmaster. You weren't lying when it came to his weird fixation with clocks. I was surprised that the architecture was even plausible." Elizabeth then walked to the foot of Jaune's bed and leaned against it, thinking of what to say next. "We had a nice chat with you as well. I didn't get much considering that he was muttering half the time to his assistants. Maybe one was in the military." She looked back to Jaune and let out a soft smile. "Thanks to you, I guess I work here now. Something about being in a witness protection program funded by Beacon. You're looking at your school's newest librarian." She said with humor and puffed out her chest slightly. An overflowing need to deflate flowed through her though, as she received no response and proceeded to straighten her posture in a professional manner.

"It's only been a week though hasn't it?" she asked with no answer. "No, it was two. Two weeks." Elizabeth rubbed her forearm and could feel her chest tighten as the silence was the only noise to accompany her. "Two weeks since that fight." She took those moments to sit down by Jaunes side and even if she didn't get a response, she placed a hand on his. "I don't think I've ever screamed that loud before... at anyone." Elizabeth's hand tightened around Jaune's as her mind felt as if it was in a vice due to the terrible memories. "You were no better. I've seen you mad before. For God's sake, you gouged that scientist's eyes out with your thumb before he could experiment with me." She leaned forward and smirked a bit as she clarified what victim she was talking about.

"I won't lie, we did move fast," she said a little downcast and looked back to Jaune who was still unconscious. "Considering we were always close to dying every day, it felt like an eternity with you; you know that Jaune?" she brushed back a little bit of her hair and softly smiled once more. "I was happy, you know." She promised herself there would be no tears. She begged with every fiber of her being for the tears not to emerge, but considering her first week in Remnant had been a hopeless trainwreck after trainwreck, the sense of finally finding the man that was currently lying before her became overwhelming. "I was lying when I told you all those things. About never considering the greater good, becoming hopeless, never caring to begin with. Anger gets the best of us, even someone like me." Elizabeth sat there, her hand entangled within Jaune's limp fingers, and she let out a breath. "I honestly didn't think it would be this bad without you, you know? The apartment… it feels desolate. Barren to say the least." she couldn't help but laugh for a few moments and she proceeded to do her best to cover her mouth and let only her shoulders buckle. "You're never going to believe me when I tell you why I'm ba-" Elizabeth was cut off as she heard the door begin to open, and without a second to spare, Elizabeth darted to the far wall behind the door.

"Hm?" a woman questioned as the sound of heels clicking against the polished floor echoed throughout the room. Elizabeth assumed that it was a nurse that overheard her laughing and decided to see who the cause of the noise was. "Have to inform Ozpin on the voices. I swear this place is becoming haunted." The woman headed back out and closed the door behind her. There was a brief silence that Elizabeth let herself become one with and she couldn't help but feel her hands tighten at the sight of Jaune, she had no proof to her name, but for the life of her, he was looking miserable by the minute.

"I hope you wake up soon Jaune." She walked toward the blonde and gently kissed his forehead. At that moment, she felt her wellbeing begin to elevate for a few moments. It had only been two weeks since she left him, but it had felt much longer as the subtle scent of lavender and alcohol enticed and intoxicated her sense of smell. "I want to be the one to say sorry this time. Let's just hope you still believe in second chances." She turned towards the door, but not before looking back one last time as she headed back into the artificially illuminated hallways of Beacon and out of her secluded world only meant for her and Jaune. "Guess I should get going then." She couldn't help but feel a sharp tap of pain that became embedded in her heart. After letting out a breath to recollect herself, she looked back to her map that she kept on her and saw that the courtyard was only a short way away. "You'll be able to talk to him when he wakes up," she told herself with a sense of pseudo false confidence.

Thankfully, she hadn't run into any more unsatisfying situations and made her way to the courtyard where Pyrrha had told Elizabeth to meet her and her team. If she was honest, this world was baffling. First off, Jaune had never mentioned that the moon was fractured beyond or that there are variants of Grimm. Though she had never seen a live one yet, her time at the library in Vale gave much-needed information on countless species. Considering that Jaune lived here for seventeen years with the fact that there were terrorists armed with weapons Columbia could only dream of, she was surprised that he was alive in the first place.

"Is that her?" a chipper voice spoke up.

Curiosity got the better of Elizabeth as she turned to see four people starting to walk toward her. Pyrrha was leading while an orange haired girl in a pink skirt and an oddly designed white shirt was walking next to a man with almost lusciously long raven-black hair and designs that resembled the ones she read in her books on eastern culture. What did seem off was the bulky man behind them. His armor looked heavy, and that mace that he carried on his shoulder didn't seem to help. His overall demeanor looked as if he would rather be anywhere else.

"Yes, Nora," Pyrrha replied with a gentle smirk. Elizabeth proceeded to wave at them. Pyrrha returned the gesture. Once Elizabeth met up with them, Pyrrha proceeded to shake her hand, having a proper greeting.

"I take it that the two of them are Ren and Nora," Elizabeth stated. The three teammates all grew confused at Elizabeth's knowledge,

"Ozpin told me about your team, considering we will be working together for today and tomorrow."

Ren and Nora understood this but remained a little confused, wondering why their stay in Vale would occur overnight.

"Ozpin also wanted you to show me around. I lived far outside the kingdoms for most of my life, so all of this is a little new to me." It wasn't a lie. Despite being in Vale for a week, the only places that she had visited were the docks that led to Beacon and the library. That's where she got her first job and decided to stay there.

"We get to take you on tour?!" Nora exclaimed as she was brimming with excitement. "This is going to be so much fun!" She proceeded to fist-pump at this, and Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle at her antics.

"So, you are from another kingdom?" Ren asked with curiosity, and Elizabeth rubbed the back of her head, mentally cursing Jaune for picking that habit up from him.

"I used to live far from the Kingdom walls," she said and noticed the suspicion rise within Ren. Before he could reply, she turned her attention to the silent yet almost hulking student behind them all. "I didn't get your name though," she said with genuine curiosity and couldn't help but notice the overall disdain the other three had towards him.

"Cardin Winchester," he said. Elizabeth had a moment of realization and couldn't help but feel a little disdain towards him as well. She had been informed by Jaune during their time in Columbia about the incident that involved him, and she couldn't help but have a feeling of anger begin to boil inside her gut. "Due to complications with my previous team and considering that Jauney..." He cut himself off and cleared his throat of his volition, oblivious to the glares he was receiving from the three students. "Jaune is out of commission at the moment, Ozpin and Goodwitch had decided to put me on this team." Though Elizabeth was skeptical, she wasn't oblivious to the fact that he was uncomfortable in this situation and was not on good terms with any of them. In those moments, she believed an olive branch was appropriate. Despite having a bit of hate towards this person, she knew that Jaune would do the same and that it wasn't right to judge on first appearances.

"Well how about looking after Jaune while we go to Vale?" she asked and caused all of the students to go wide-eyed at her proposition. Even Cardin was a little baffled at what she had suggested, and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at this. "I'm not stupid. It's clear none of you want to be around him. Considering that this is a team based mission, watching over your leader and letting you three know when he wakes up would be beneficial. Wouldn't you think?" It took them a few moments of silence and Elizabeth couldn't help but notice Nora eyeing Cardin.

"I don't see why not," Nora said out loud and shrugged her shoulders. The same looks that were given to Elizabeth were now focused on Nora, and she put her hands up in defense. "Pyrrha is the leader at the moment, so she can't stay back, not to mention the team works at its best when we are together, and to top off that we don't really like Cardin makes the idea much better," Cardin grumbled at this slightly and turned away from them.

"I'll let you know when he wakes up," he called out as he walked away with his mace hoisted on his shoulder, clearly not happy with his situation, yet content with what options he was given. With that last comment, the four of them were left in silence.

"So," Elizabeth clapped her hands together, startling Pyrrha and Ren, but making Nora laugh in response. "Shall we get going?" she asked, and the others complied while heading towards the bullheads at the docks. The ride was somewhat nauseating for Elizabeth as she had never been fully aware of her surroundings on the bullheads. This was her second time on one, but considering that the first time her adrenaline was running through her system, she could truly value what it meant to be nauseous. It was almost embarrassing, to say the least considering that she had spent her entire life in a flying city. She chalked it up to the design of the ships and not to mention the uneven turbulence that consisted every minute or so.

"So, Elizabeth," Nora said, snapping her out of her stupor. "Not to sound like I'm not enjoying this, but why are we helping you move your things as a mission?"

Elizabeth wasn't offended in the slightest as she gave Nora a soft smile. "Ozpin hired me as your new librarian," she replied and lurched a bit as she felt her stomach churn. "The reason you're here is that the headmaster wants to be cautious of the people that attacked us the night before."

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed as Elizabeth said this. "The ones that drugged and tried to kidnap Jaune?"

Elizabeth nodded at this. "Vale is a busy place during the day and only a short way away from Beacon, so Huntsmen are present in the area. That's why there isn't a full huntsman or huntress aiding us today." Elizabeth replied as she felt the ship bounce once more. The others nodded at this and once more the bullhead's engines and the sound of whipping wind filled their ears. "Ozpin also thinks that your team has been through a lot in the past week and decided that tomorrow should be a day for you all to relax." A sigh escaped all of them as she said this and Elizabeth couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at what she had just witnessed. Before she could ask anything, they all felt the bullhead land at the Vale docks, and the team proceeded to file out of the Bullhead. Elizabeth stretched her arms and let out a breath of relief while looking back to see the others do the same.

"Lead the way," Pyrrha said. Elizabeth noticed the overall downtrodden tone in her voice and despite being unsure of the situation, proceeded to head down the main street, towards the public library.

"I take it the headmaster was right when he said that things haven't been easy for you three," Elizabeth asked and only received silence from Ren and Pyrrha, though the slightly sour looks were evidence to her question. She decided then and there to be silent on the matter and continued to head toward their intended destination, creating some space between them as she assumed that's what they wanted.

"It has," Nora said suddenly and Elizabeth jumped a bit as she saw the bomber by her side. Nora didn't seem to realize that she had appeared out of nowhere due to the solemn look on her face. Elizabeth realized this and decided to indulge her new companion.

"What do you mean by that?" Elizabeth asked and soon noticed the hardened look that Nora had formed. She then looked back to her two teammates who were conversing behind there backs, Elizabeth was somewhat oblivious to their conversation, but Nora already knew they were talking about the coincidence of their new friend's name. There was more to it as well, but Nora decided to not dwell on it at the moment.

"Well, it's only been a week since our leader came back, and we are nearly falling apart again," the bomber said with disdain but had her quirky way of saying it in an upbeat tone.

"Again?" Elizabeth asked with concern. "You three are considered some of the best students in Beacon." Nora rose an eyebrow at this and put a hand on her hip.

"Did Ozpin tell you that as well?" she asked somewhat flatly and Elizabeth slightly nodded, not letting Nora know that she was growing a bit agitated.

"Well, he did give me the run-down of you and your team," Elizabeth replied, and Nora nodded in understanding. The two began to walk a little bit more with a brief silence before Elizabeth looked to Nora.

"Despite whatever Ozpin said about us, we were kind of pathetic without Jaune." This comment made Elizabeth raise her eyebrows and Nora proceeded to go on. "I don't know how to describe it, but he was the friend that kept things interesting and whole. There were times we did make fun of him, but only in a good way I guess." Elizabeth could tell that the bomber was slightly ashamed of that last part. "He was also the one that kept us balanced. Not to mention they only hygienic person out of the three of us." Elizabeth couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle at this.

"Really? I would think your uptight looking friend would be more of help when it came to that sort of thing." Elizabeth gestured to Ren who was still conversing with Pyrrha in a hushed tone, and Nora raised an eyebrow at him.

"Renny?" Nora let out a sarcastic chuckle as if she had heard a hilarious joke. "Believe me, the guy can cook, and when it comes to weapons and kitchen utensils, he is a genius, anything other than that, and he's pretty much hopeless." Elizabeth was baffled, to say the least, but decided to let the bomber continue. "I'm… well... me. A total slob and a tornado of energy at the same time so you can know at first glance that I wouldn't be any help."

"Is it wrong to say that I agree with what you said wholeheartedly?" Nora waved her question off with ease.

"I know who I am, doesn't mean I don't try and make an effort though," Nora replied with a toothy grin and Elizabeth returned the gesture with a slight smirk of her own. "Pyrrha on the other hand, sweet merciful Oum." Nora noticed that this peaked Elizabeth's interest and decided to take a mental note of it.

"What do you mean by that?" Elizabeth asked, and Nora had to take a moment to think of the right words.

"I think the right word for her would be a trainwreck and not the type where a woman loses all inhibitions and restraint on society and her self-image." Elizabeth grew surprised at the sudden yet informative definition of what a trainwreck is for some people. "All she focused on was finding Jaune and nothing more. She practically abandoned school, neglected her hygiene and never listened to us." Nora said with sadness laced within her voice. Elizabeth looked back for a second and then back to Nora, to confirm something that had been gnawing at her.

"But things should've gotten better when he came back right?"

A loud yet short laugh escaped Nora's mouth which slightly startled Elizabeth. "That's what we all thought as well. Next thing we know, we find out our leader who we made fun of for not taking the initiative often and staying away from any trouble, is a scar-riddled borderline alcoholic." This tidbit of information internally baffled Elizabeth beyond belief. Before she could question any of it, Nora continued. "In this past week, he has made enemies with an aristocratical bastard, kneecapped a student, dealt with numerous drinking problems, has made an infamous name for himself around the school which called for therapy, fought a robot that killed me for a few moments before he brought me back via CPR, and to top it all off, was just drugged and nearly kidnapped last night." It took Nora a second to realize that Elizabeth had stopped in her tracks and before Nora's other teammates could question what the matter was, the bomber saw the appalled shock and disbelief in Elizabeth. Nora knew then and there that her look wasn't one someone had towards a person they had just met. "You okay?" she asked, and it snapped Elizabeth out of her dazed demeanor.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and caught up to Nora a bit flustered at her dazed state. "Sorry, that was just a lot, especially for one person." Nora nodded in response and looked back to Pyrrha with a somewhat hardened gaze. "Honestly, I'm okay with it." Elizabeth's surprised expression returned, and Nora playfully rolled her eyes. "Of course, not the drinking as much, but the fact that he's changed. We all have our ways of healing, and I guess he had just been beaten one too many times for his healing to be smoother than it is now." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at this and Nora simply shrugged her shoulders, indicating that's just how she saw it.

"You certainly are telling a stranger that you just met a lot," Elizabeth said with some skepticism and Nora narrowed her eyes while smirking slightly.

"I don't mind. If you are who I think you are then I don't think it's weird in the slightest," she said, and internally, Elizabeth was nearly having a meltdown. How in the hell did things turn out the way they did? Jaune had only been back at Beacon for a week and considering that she left him in Remnant two weeks ago, it was safe to assume he nearly drowned himself in alcohol. Then add on everything that Nora said, it was hard not to feel guilty in those moments. Not to mention Nora's hunch on who she was to make things ever so better.

"Is this the place?" Elizabeth heard Ren call out and once again, she was snapped out of her train of thought and looked up to the building they were next to. A baffled expression overtook her and she looked to Nora for answers, which in return, all the bomber gave was an excited smile while pointing at the building.

"Huh," Elizabeth said as she read the sign, indicating it was a public library and that they had reached their destination. "I guess thought-provoking conversations does make time fly." she and Nora chuckled at her comment, though for different reasons and perceptions on time itself. Once Elizabeth mentally calmed down a bit, she walked up the steps with the students in tow and knocked on the locked doors. They waited a few moments and saw an elderly woman walk up, a little dazed but awake enough to realize who was at the door. She was short, to say the least, but walked with a sense of purpose. Her short white hair seemed to give her a sense of spunk to her posture as well, and the students noticed that she was grinning immensely as she fumbled with the keys to unlock the door.

"Elizabeth!" the woman exclaimed with an elated and relieved tone and the students saw the woman wrap her arms around their acquaintance, but the woman pulled back to get a good look at the woman. "Where have you been?! You said you would send a message to me if you stayed out for the night!" the exclamation from the woman that NPR had just met wasn't one of anger, but one of slight anxiety and fear.

"I'm so sorry Ms. Stein," Elizabeth said as she gave the woman a reassuring smile and put a hand on her shoulder. "Something did come up though. Could we talk about it inside?" her response was a playful slap on her shoulder, and the woman put her hands on her hips.

"How many times do I have to say it, Elizabeth?!" she jokingly exclaimed while gesturing all of them to come in. "It's Sten! Gertrude Sten!" Elizabeth chuckled in response while the others had no idea why she found it funny. Once the group made it passed the lobby area, they were welcomed by a plethora of shelves stacked to the ceiling with books. It wasn't nearly as technological as the one at Beacon, but it was clear by the mahogany colors and the personally decorated interior that it had much more charm and atmosphere to it.

"I'm sorry, it's just you look more like a Stein to me." Elizabeth playfully responded as they followed Ms. Sten to the back area of the library. In the far corner of the room where the non-fiction section resided was a polished door, and Ms. Sten fumbled with her keys once more. Once she unlocked the door, there was a sense of relief that appeared on her face and she once more gestured for the confused group to follow.

"I honestly never knew this place existed," Pyrrha whispered to Ren, and the stoic ninja nodded in agreement.

"Beacon's library is a much easier convenience for us, so I believe that's why." Pyrrha looked at him with understanding and decided to pay attention to where they were going next. The four soon found themselves in a roomy office of sorts, even though they saw a pair of twin beds, one in each corner of the room and a stove behind the massive desk. The walls were covered with various paintings and other murals of abstract art that pleased both the expert and the casual eye.

"This is something else," Ren said after letting out a low whistle, and they could hear Ms. Sten chuckle as she sat down in her seat that resided at her desk.

"Perks of living in your library I suppose," Sten commented, and Nora beamed with excitement.

"That is amazing!" The bomber exclaimed. "Though I'm not a fan of books, it's still amazing!" this earned a slightly loud laugh from Ms. Sten and a grin from Elizabeth.

"Well, Lizzy here does most of the heavy work. It's been only a week, and I feel as if I'm losing my edge when it comes to restocking the inventory." Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the nickname that Ms. Sten had given her and folded her arms.

"Oh, please. Once your arm heals, you'll be back at it." That comment from Elizabeth was the detail they needed to realize that Ms. Sten's right arm was wrapped in a tight cast.

"That's what she thinks," Ms. Sten commented towards the students and smirked a bit. "I kind of like exclusive desk work." A stern yet playful look was Elizabeth's response, and before anyone could say anything, Ms. Sten looked at the huntsman and huntresses in training. "And who are your friends, Elizabeth?"

The students realized that it was time to introduce themselves.

"Pyrrha Nikos," Pyrrha commented as she greeted Ms. Sten with a smile of her own.

"Lie Ren." Ren followed up as he gave a gentle bow in respect.

"Nora Valkyrie!" Nora exclaimed with her signature glee, and this caused Ms. Sten to laugh wholeheartedly.

"My, you never told me that your friends were this polite." Ms. Sten commented and stood up to greet them as well. "Well I believe you've heard my name once, but I will say it again. I'm Gertrude Sten. I run the public library here in Vale." the others nodded at this, and Ms. Sten turned to Elizabeth with concern and confusion. "So, what happened, considering you didn't let me know how long you were going to be out." Elizabeth let out a groan a teenage daughter would give to her mother and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Something happened, and Beacon is putting me in protective custody until things are resolved," Elizabeth said with some stress in her voice and this certainly shocked the elder looking woman in both a positive and concerning tone.

"By the gods, are you alright?!" she exclaimed, and Ms. Sten rushed to Elizabeth, making sure she wasn't harmed.

"Ms. Sten, I'm fine. You worry too much," Elizabeth said with a grateful smile. The woman could only nod, and Elizabeth led her back to her seat.

"Well, your attitude and desire to get drunk last night were all evidence to the contrary, Elizabeth." Ms. Sten made herself comfortable by making sure her bronze and burgundy colored dress wasn't tugging against the chair.

"I ran into someone, and apparently some people are looking for that person. Bad people." Everyone grew a little shocked at this, especially the students considering she had left that part out. "Beacon just wants to be safe because I was the only one to give them an official report. That's why they are here." Elizabeth gestured to the students. Ms. Sten looked down at her cast and was beginning to process what Elizabeth was implying. "All they ask is that I stay there for a week or so while they can clear this up. As their librarian no less."

Ms. Sten let out an amused huff as Elizabeth said this. "If Beacon is trying to keep you safe, then I can't object." Ms. Sten said a little downtrodden at the news.

"I never said I would stop working here," Elizabeth said almost hurt. The others were growing uncomfortable in the depressed atmosphere. "They just want to look after me, but in the meantime, I need to bring my things with me."

Ms. Sten nodded in response and stood up. "In the meantime, I'll whip us up something for all of us to eat. How does that sound." Before the students could object or be elated, Elizabeth stepped in.

"With that cast? Not a chance Ms. Sten. I'll do the cooking." Before anyone could object, Elizabeth headed out the door and to where the students assumed where Ms. Sten kept her food.

"She's a spitfire, that one." Ms. Sten chuckled.

Ren, Pyrrha, and Nora saw the elderly woman get a little more comfortable in her seat. "She has only been working here for a week?" Ren asked, and Ms. Sten nodded in response, though her eyes began to wander at her countless paintings.

"She has been more than just extra help." Ms. Sten lifted up her arm that was wrapped tightly in a cast. "I was driving home from an auction a week ago, and I was caught in the middle of that dreadful fight on the highway. That one that was on the news for a while. A car ran into mine due to that robotic monstrosity, and I was able to get out with only this."

The students were shocked at the civilian casualty, and Nora couldn't help but shrink in her spot. If Team RWBY, Jaune and Nora handled the situation better, the woman wouldn't have been hurt.

"Oh, do sit down you three, considering that you'll be for a while." Once everyone sat in the spare chairs that were around the room, Ms. Sten took another breath. "The next day was a nightmare when it came to restocking. Having a fear of heights and only one able arm is a burden for maintenance."

Nora visibly winced as she heard this since she casually had up breaking limbs throughout her time with her team. The others couldn't help but feel dread at the thought of being unable to use one of their limbs.

"I'm guessing that's when Elizabeth came in?" Pyrrha asked,

"She came in one day and obliged to help when she saw my condition. It only took her two hours to do what I do in a day. I soon found out she had just gotten here from a village outside the kingdoms with just the clothes on her back. I know the simile will sound degrading, but she was like a puppy looking for a home."

Ren shook his head. "You took her in and gave her a place to stay along with a job she enjoys; I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Did she say which village she came from?" Pyrrha asked with a raised eyebrow. This question was received with a raised eyebrow from Ren and a disapproving look from Nora.

Ms. Sten didn't think it mattered, so she answered with a slight smile on her face. "It always escapes me though. She said it was far off, outside the kingdom boundaries, I believe." The elderly librarian scratched her chin and narrowed her eyes slightly. "It started with a C. Colum? Columbus?"

As she uttered this, the three students felt the same jolt of surprise and a hint of dread as they began to piece two and two together. "C-Columbia?" Pyrrha asked with a shaky voice, and Ms. Sten proceeded to snap her fingers.

"Exactly! Columbia!" she exclaimed with realization but soon grown a bit concerned when she saw the various looks on the students that spanned from downtrodden to almost angry. "Is something wrong?"

"Hope you all enjoy the soup!" All three students jumped at Elizabeth's outburst as she opened the door with pot in her hands. Steam brimmed through the lid, and padded polka-dot mitts covered the handles as Elizabeth set the pot down on the dining table in the back area of the room. Elizabeth didn't seem to notice the tense atmosphere at first but soon realized that her interruption seemed to have disturbed something. "Is everything alright?"

Since the children were quiet, Ms. Sten answered. "We were just talking about my accident and how you came to help me out. They thought you were quite sweet in assisting me."

"Oh, I don't mind helping you at all," Elizabeth said. I'm just worried about you while I'm gone." Elizabeth clapped her hands and had a smile on her face. "Anyways, come eat."

Pyrrha and Ren stood up from their seats, and as they did, they both felt the familiar buzz of their scrolls go off. Thinking that it was Cardin, telling them that Jaune had woken up, Pyrrha quickly reached for her scroll and failed to hide her disdain and confusion when she saw it was from Nora.

The two looked over at the bomber who had a glare that could rival the Weiss's, and she eyed their scrolls for a second, gesturing for the two of them to look at the message. 'We'll talk about this tonight, in the meantime, NO MORE DIGGING!'

Frustration flared within the champion, but Ren stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder asking to calm down. The green ninja looked at his partner with a hint of irritation and nodded at her, leaving the three of them to think of what this discovery meant.

 **Alright part one is done and I am almost finished with the rough draft of part two. Part three will be a bit tougher but I will prevail alongside Firestorm808 due to the editing and the extra pair of eyes that look over the pitfalls of the rough draft. Firestorm has done some great work and I recommend checking out their stories if you have the time. With that said I hope you all enjoyed this and I'm excited for writing more stories throughout 2018. Drop a comment, review, or PM if you wish and as always, BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 AND FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!**


	11. Chapter 10 part 2

**So here it is. The second part out of the three-part chapter. This one was a doozy to write and took forever to get off the ground. This was the personification of being in a slump and I'm happy I got through it and made the story worthwhile and enjoyable. ALSO SMUT WARNING for this chapter. There will be a * to show when it starts and ends. Anyways, I don't own RWBY or Bioshock, they belong to their respective owners, ENJOY!**

Chapter ten part two

The descent

The rest of the evening consisted of Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha becoming acquainted with the library, and the three agreed that they would be more than able to give Ms. Sten her respect and privacy by setting their cots in the library, preferably the back corner. Nora didn't understand why Pyrrha suggested that spot until it showed that the other two wanted to have as much privacy for the inevitable conversation.

Honestly, she dreaded anything that included Jaune's hardships and her team. Time and time again, it felt as if they wanted the Jaune that was a long lost memory. Jaune's history didn't matter to her. Neither she nor Ren said anything when it came to Kuroyuri. Why were the others treating Jaune as the exception? Nora knew the answer, but it didn't give the others the right to harass him about it. She learned that method was useless firsthand when she confronted him about his drinking in front of the headmaster. Even if it is discussed, she couldn't help but feel ashamed for stooping to that level.

The familiar yet unpleasant smell of incense flooding her nostrils cut off this train of thought. The bomber turned to see Lie Ren doing some breathing exercises. Nora rolled her eyes at Ren's little ritual he did every night but couldn't help but notice irritation around him. Nora rose a brow at this as there were only a few times she had felt that ambiance radiate from him. That was back when they were just starting out on there own a few months into their friendship. In a matter of moments, she could see the violet outline of his aura encompass him along with all color draining from his being. A second passed, and the color returned along with Ren's calm demeanor.

"You okay there, Renny?" Nora asked as she finished setting up her sleeping bag and walked over to her partner with a hand on her hip. She could see her partner's eyebrow twitch at the sudden noise and her smirk morphed into a frown.

"You said we would talk about what we learned today, Nora. I suggest we wait for Pyrrha," Ren responded flatly.

His tone caused the bomber to furrow her brows. Throughout their time together, she had hardly seen him this cold before. Perhaps he was like this when Kuroyuri was mentioned once or twice when they were growing up but never towards anything else.

"You don't have to." The two turned to see that Pyrrha had come back from the bathroom in her sleeping attire. Her hair was let down, and the red silk of her gown flickered along with the candlelight. Nora grew nervous at the champion's same demeanor to Ren's, and she sat down in her sleeping bag. The two were looking at Nora, waiting for her to start the inevitable talk they would all have to suffer through.

"Well, we now know it can't be a coincidence anymore," Nora said as she sat down, facing her two teammates. She saw that Ren slightly nodded while Pyrrha looked down at her folded hands. "Both of them come back from this place called Columbia. Her name's Elizabeth. She acted strangely when I told her about Jaune's week back at Beacon. I think it's safe to say that the Elizabeth that's with us is the same one." Nora finished as she looked to Pyrrha and Ren, who were both sitting there in front of her, both contemplating her words.

"It certainly raises many questions," Ren said, eyes closed and arms folded. "Why is she here? Is she looking for Jaune? Why haven't we heard of Columbia before now?" He wasn't searching for any specific answers.

"Believe me, Ren," Nora replied as she adjusted to get herself more comfortable. "That last one is bothering me as well. You and I traveled all over the continent when we were growing up, and I had never heard of that place until now." She let out a relaxed yawn.

"At least we can agree on something," Pyrrha muttered.

Nora narrowed her eyes at her teammate. "Pyrrha."

The champion looked at the bomber with disdain. "I just don't get it," Pyrhha is distraught yet mindful of her volume. "We're supposed to be his team. He's our leader for Oum's sake, and the entire time he's been here, we have had to piece things together."

Nora chose not to snap back at her and instead took a breath to calm herself. "Pyrrha, if he doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't have to."

Pyrrha shot up from her spot. "The how can we help him?!"

Nora winced at the sudden rise in volume, and both Ren and Nora could see the look on Pyrrha's face. She was frustrated, angry, but most importantly, drained. It's as if her very will was dwindling. Whether Jaune knew it or not, he had changed Pyrrha. Neither Ren nor Nora wanted to instigate or provoke. They too felt akin to what Pyrrha was feeling. Jaune is family and in Nora's perspective, still was their family. Him disappearing was frightening and disheartening all at the same time, and in those moments, Nora decided to stand up and face Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha, we don't know," Nora said in a defeated tone, and Pyrrha stayed silent. "Whether we like it or not, we don't know how. I am pretty sure things are going to get worse for him if this past week was anything to go by." Nora pleaded for Pyrrha to sit down and after a few moments of silence, the champion complied. "All we know is that things are different and that he doesn't want to think what happened. All we can do is just be there for him." There was no confirmation of her claim as Ren and Pyrrha remained still.

"One thing stands out." Both Nora and Pyrrha turned to Ren as he looked to Nora. "He scared." Nora was about to respond, but Ren put his hand up. "The first day he came back, and I went after him, he said that no one would believe him if he told anyone." Both Pyrrha and Nora remembered Ren mentioning that detail when they were all at Ozpin's office, and in a moment, something clicked within Nora.

"Oh…" the bomber muttered, and the two students turned towards her, confused as to why she would say that.

"Nora?" Ren asked, confused as to why his partner looked as if she had just pieced something together. Nora remained silent as she bit her thumb while looking up to Ren and Pyrrha, both either confused and slowly becoming frustrated. "Nora, what's going on?" he asked in a soft tone. It was the same tone used to calm her down from nightmares and depressing thoughts. In those moments, he saw that Nora looked torn as if she didn't know what to do, and before he could do anything, Nora let out a sigh.

"I thought he was just joking to block out the bad memories. It's impossible, but the more we look, the more it may be true. He's gonna kill me for this," She answered, and Ren narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What may be true?" Pyrrha asked flatly.

Nora looked to the champion with a hint of disdain. "It will sound impossible, but let me start from the beginning." Nora looked at Ren, knowing he was the more level-headed one out of the group. "Jaune came back after a month of living in a place at war. He is now drowning himself in alcohol and fighting." Ren noticed that Nora had subtly raised her hand to her heard and lowered her head a bit, "He almost saw me die in front of him." Ren couldn't help but feel his heartache as Nora said that. "During the prom, he almost gets taken by strangers." All of them could feel the distraught nature, and Nora broke the silence with a breath. "He seems unstable and paranoid, possibly psychotic. Would anyone believe you if you said that you were fighting for your life in a flying city the entire month you were away ?" There was a pause, and both Ren and Pyrrha reeled back at the question.

"Is this some sick joke!" Pyrrha was livid at Nora.

"I know. It's impossible. However, during the fight on the highway, Jaune mentioned losing his motion sickness."

Ren shook his head, understanding what Jaune meant by no one believing him. Jaune had to be out of his mind.

"He told me in the infirmary that he woke up strapped to a chair, inside a pod. It then rocketed him up to a city in the sky," Nora felt the shame rise. Even if it was possibly a delusion, She hated telling them. Telling them was a necessity for the team's friendship.

"What?" Ren said as he looked at Nora who refused to make eye contact with any of them.

"Do you believe him?" Nora responded, and this question left her partner in a pause, not sure what to say on the matter at hand. The silence that would periodically invade their lives invaded once more, and before Nora could ask once more, she saw Pyrrha stand up from her spot. "Pyrrha?" Nora asked, and she could see nothing but negativity swirling around her.

"I just need some time alone," Pyrrha said softly, yet with cold tact as she held herself and walked off, down the stairs towards the far end of the library. Nora wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words, what could she say after dropping a bomb like that?

"I feel like I don't." Nora was snapped from her stupor as Ren was looking at her. "Jaune may think that he was. It would make more sense that Jaune's psyche made the false memory to cope with the stress at the time. But, if that's what Jaune believes." Nora could see the struggle within Ren as he couldn't help but close his eyes and take a breath. "If you are willing to believe him, then I have no choice but to do so as well." The bomber was puzzled. Why follow her lead? "I just hope that things get better." He looked to the stairway that Pyrrha went down. "I don't just mean for Jaune." Nora nodded in response as they both wondered how Pyrrha was taking this.

With Pyrrha:

She knew she couldn't stray too far; they were in a library for Oum's sake. However, this fact didn't help as all she wanted to do was scream into her pillow or even just out loud. Either or would be a blessing at this point for the champion as she wandered throughout the lower half of the library. She could see throughout the window the amber lights throughout the damp street and the shattered moon shined down, slightly tinting the night. In those moments, Pyrrha had no idea what to do. Who is Elizabeth? How does she know Jaune? What is their relationship? These questions lingered and bounced throughout her mind, and before her mind could dwell on it, she sat on the small bench where the back was against the window, allowing readers to enjoy the passersby of Vale. Though the polished wood creaked at the sudden weight she put on it, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as she sat there, not letting the silence bother her.

"It's a nice spot isn't it?"

Turning around, Pyrrha nearly gasped as she saw Elizabeth in front of her, slightly leaning against a shelf housing a plethora of fantasy novels in a black silk robe that went to her shins. Her arms folded, she and gave a welcoming smile on her face as if to tell Pyrrha that she had no ill intentions towards her. Pyrrha only nodded in response and Elizabeth began to make her way over to Pyrrha, and before the champion could object, Elizabeth sat to the far right of the bench and let out a sigh of relief. "This past week I would take my breaks here and catch up on some reading or the news." Pyrrha gave no response to this, and Elizabeth decided to continue. "Not only that, but the acoustics are so well that you can even hear the softest of whispers from across the building." it was then that Elizabeth gave Pyrrha a knowing look.

"You heard all of that?" Pyrrha asked, and Elizabeth looked forward, towards the aisles of books and slowly nodded. Pyrrha couldn't tell what she was thinking at this point and at the same time, didn't know what else to say in response.

"Your teammate, Nora is smarter than she lets on. I think she should get that across to Ren if today were any indication of what their relationship usually is." Elizabeth said in a matter of fact tone, and Pyrrha narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you?" Pyrrha asked somewhat softly and looked at Elizabeth. "How do you know Jaune?"

Elizabeth looked at Pyrrha with a soft gaze, yet had a firm resolve and folded her arms under her bosom.

"I'll answer if only you give me an answer in return," Elizabeth said somewhat sternly, but Pyrrha could see that the question she had was eating at her, just like the one that was eating at Pyrrha.

The champion slightly nodded, and Elizabeth closed her eyes.

"I was with Jaune in Columbia."

Pyrrha felt a pang of guilt for bringing up the bad memory.

"Now, my question," Elizabeth asked, causing Pyrrha to snap out of her train of thought.

"Yes?" Pyrrha asked somewhat nervous and couldn't help but see that Elizabeth was sharing the same emotion.

"How did you and your team find out about me? Did Jaune tell you who I was?" Elizabeth asked, not looking at Pyrrha, and the Spartan remained silent for a moment.

All they knew was her name. Pyrrha didn't know Elizabeth's affiliated or what her goals are. With caution, Pyrrha answer with honesty. "When he was falling asleep, he called me that name by mistake." This caused Elizabeth to raise an eyebrow and give Pyrrha a look of skepticism. "I'm honest. Ms. Sten even said that you came from a place called Columbia: the same place Jaune told us." Elizabeth silently nodded as Pyrrha told her this and she couldn't help but be confused when Elizabeth chuckled slightly.

"Sorry," Elizabeth said as she covered her mouth slightly. "It's just that, on the first day I was with him, he called me Pyrrha when I tried to wake him up." Elizabeth giggled slightly louder as she finished this and this caused Pyrrha to blush slightly. "He nearly drowned, and I had to give him CPR." The little tidbit caused Pyrrha to hitch her breath. "I just find it hilarious." Elizabeth finished, and Pyrrha's grip tightened on her armrest.

"Well, that's all we know," Pyrrha replied, causing Elizabeth to stop laughing. "What happened between you and him in Columbia?" This question caused Elizabeth to go silent. Pyrrha's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to say something more but was cut off.

"Why are you so fixated on him?" Elizabeth asked suddenly, causing a sharp tension to grow between the two. "Don't give me the "He's my partner" excuse. Partner or no partner, I've seen that this is taking a major toll on you, and I've only known you for a day." Elizabeth was defensive at this point and remained unfazed when she saw the frustration return within Pyrrha. "To be honest, from what I've heard, you're not helping him or yourself in the slightest." Elizabeth mentally kicked herself for sounding a little too aggressive on the last part, and she couldn't help but feel as if it was more of an insult than stating the truth. This opinion was sought to be true when she could see the anger radiating off Pyrrha.

"You saw it today," Pyrrha said in a flat voice as she refused to look at Elizabeth and chose to lean forward and look straight ahead. "With Louis."

Elizabeth's interest was piqued as she said this and decided to listen on.

"Do you think he was the only one? My whole life existed around people like him and politicians. It didn't help that my father still is one of those politicians. Day in and day out, I was separated from decency and honesty. I wasn't even a person to most of the people in my life. Can you even fathom that Elizabeth?" Pyrrha glared at her, and Elizabeth noticed tears were forming in her eyes.

"Then I finally met someone that didn't care about my background in the slightest." Pyrrha hunched over a bit and looked as if she was hugging herself. "Ren told me that if the only reason I cared for Jaune was that he didn't know who I was, anyone could just take his place. Jaune was just the first one to come along." Pyrrha was about to go on as the tears streamed down her face but soon felt a hand rest on her shoulder.

"It's not that he didn't care, it's because he understood, didn't he?" Elizabeth asked, causing Pyrrha to hitch her breath and look up at Elizabeth who was staring at the amber glow of the streetlights that laid outside the window with a soft smile on her face. "He knew that beneath the power, the image, and the intimidation, you were just a person like him, you had emotions, and you had opinions, and he listened and paid close attention to everything so that if something were wrong, he would do everything in his power to help you." Elizabeth finished with a slight breath as she continued to stare out onto the dimly lit streets, as if she remembered a fond memory and after a few moments, Pyrrha looked to Elizabeth with some confusion.

"E-Exactly." Pyrrha stuttered as her eyes were practically bulging, and her heart was slamming against her chest. For the longest time, she couldn't describe what Jaune meant to her, but everything that she had just said, all of it was completely true. The gears began to turn within Pyrrha's mind, and she tried to break out of the stutter she was in. "H-How did you-!"

Elizabeth looked with empathy and understanding. "Because I can fathom what it's like to have people controlling your every movement and dictating what you can and can't do, even physically fight back to remain free." Pyrrha looked down at Elizabeth's hand and noticed that she was fiddling with the thimble on her pinky. "Jaune was the only one to help me get out of that god damn place."

Pyrrha quirked an eyebrow at the phrase that Elizabeth had used, given that the champion had never heard of the term. Nevertheless, this revelation that she had just discovered caused Pyrrha to straighten her back as she tried to process what Elizabeth had said.

"Something that I know that we both see in him is that he will always care, even if doesn't seem to show it, he never pushes and never bothers."

Pyrrha softly smiled at the memories of Jaune and herself during the first few weeks at Beacon.

"But I think the reason that makes him stands out is that he will never give up on anyone."

Pyrrha saw a relieved smile spread across Elizabeth's face, and she soon chuckled as well.

"Was I close?"

Pyrrha sat there, dumbfounded. An overflowing sense of truth and sincerity was laced into Elizabeth's voice, and even if she wanted to remain cautious, she couldn't help but nod her head.

"Alright." Elizabeth let out a yawn and stretched her arms. "Well I need to get some sleep, you do as well, and maybe patch things up with your team." Elizabeth stood up and headed back to her room, leaving the Spartan to reflect on her words and if they meant anything else.

With Jaune

 _For a while, Jaune thought he was dreaming. He honestly couldn't believe it. After fighting for weeks on end, seeing the horrors of humanity, and witnessing how terrible people could be, he finally made it out of that damn city. Columbia was a burning pile of chaos, and Jaune could safely say that if he never saw that city again, it would be too soon. Of course, his escape didn't come without a price, and that price was in the form of a choice that was rattling in his brain. Nevertheless, he prevailed once again, and the sweet sense of freedom rewarded him._

 _"Jaune?" Elizabeth asked, snapping the blonde out of his train of thought._

 _He looked at her and noticed that the wind was blowing gently against her hair and dress while a soft smile was apparent on her lips. Jaune returned the smile and looked out at the view they had. After the two of them finished their business with Columbia once and for all, Jaune decided it was time to hold up his end of the bargain and take Elizabeth to the one place that she'd always wanted to go. Usually, a trip to Paris from a collapsing city would be troublesome, but when one has the power to travel through time and reality itself, things become much easier._

 _"Yeah?" Jaune asked. If he had the mindset of himself a month prior, his stomach would have churned due to the height that they were at. After they secured a small place to stay at in the ever-romantic city of lights, they decided to go sightseeing to all the places that Elizabeth wanted to see. It consisted of strolling along the Seine river, relishing in the soft noise of water flowing, marveling at the massive structure of the Arch of Triumph. Ironically, they visited the Joan of Arc statue. Their final destination is the top of the Eifel Tower. The day ended with the two of them leaning against their home balcony, admiring the amber glow of the Parisian lights that contrasted with the evening sky._

 _To say that this sudden onslaught of the unknown dumbfounded Jaune was an understatement, but despite this, he never faltered at the new places and things that life threw at him, all because of the woman that he was standing next to while looking out over the city. He looked at her for a moment and noticed that she didn't say anything else after getting his attention. "Elizabeth?" he asked, hoping for an answer._

 _She slightly jumped at this and blushed a bit as he called her name and she twisted the thimble along her pinky, indicating that she was nervous for some reason. "Oh!" she exclaimed, and Jaune couldn't help but smirk at her antics._

 _He folded his arms and continued to look at her while waiting for a response._

 _"Did you like today?"_

 _Jaune cocked an eyebrow at this sudden attempt at small talk but couldn't help but nod. "I loved it," Jaune replied and turned back to the view of the city. "This is by far one of the coolest places I've ever been too. Mind you where I'm from, there are natural floating islands," he said jokingly, and Elizabeth laughed at this. "In all honesty, I thought at times that we were never going to get out of that place."_

 _Elizabeth nodded, and she noticed the conflicted look in Jaune's eyes. She didn't want to bring it up, knowing that the first few hours they were in Paris, Jaune was silent, still contemplating his actions in Columbia._

 _"Dance with me," Elizabeth blurted out, and Jaune looked at her with some confusion. She rolled her eyes at this and grabbed Jaunes hands. Once they were at the center of their balcony, Elizabeth went inside and grabbed the Voxophone that they stole during their time in Columbia. Once she came out, she turned the device on and the sweet aching voice that accompanied the song 'After You've Gone' greeted the two._

 _Jaune couldn't help but chuckle and wrapped his hands around her waist while she rested her hands on the back of his neck. He smiled at her as the two swayed to the soft music, and Jaune noticed the confliction rising in her._

 _"Everything alright?" he asked, and she cocked an eyebrow at him._

 _"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Jaune looked at her with confusion, not knowing what to say. "Jaune, I know what happened is bothering you."_

 _The smile on Jaune's face faltered and morphed into a frown. He looked away from her but continued to keep her embrace close. "You're going to have to be specific," Jaune said with a low voice. Elizabeth was becoming a little agitated at this, and Jaune looked at her. "The fact that you exist across timelines and can travel to any reality you want?" Jaune's look morphed into one of a glare as soon as he said this. "Or that I had to shoot a man in cold blood who had no idea what was happening?"_

 _Elizabeth knew this would happen, and she sighed just a bit._

 _"You do understand that he didn't know what was happening right? Did you see the fear and confusion in his eyes when I shot him? For fuck's sake, he was about to get baptized! I think a blonde putting a bullet between his eyes was the last thing he was expecting that day!" Jaune was more than distressed as he broke off from Elizabeth._

 _"You know why that had to happen," Elizabeth said flatly, and Jaune looked at her._

 _"That doesn't mean that I'm proud of what I did," Jaune replied. Elizabeth looked at Jaune and noticed that despite the distress apparent in his persona, one thing was clear, he was tired, exhausted even. This guilt that was eating at him was not making things better, and Elizabeth continued to look at her partner and friend, not knowing what to do. For a being with powers like hers, she honestly never felt more helpless._

 _"Well then don't feel proud." Elizabeth somewhat whispered, and Jaune looked up at her. "But know that you did what was needed." She was about to go on until she heard the shrill ringing of the timer going off in the kitchen. "Looks like dinner's ready," she said, and Jaune smirked a bit at the sudden change of topic._

 _"Food sounds nice right now," Jaune said as scratched the back of his head. Elizabeth smiled, knowing that he was feeling a bit better._

 _She then grabbed the Voxophone that had been resting in the corner and opened the door. The two entered their home and for a moment marveling at the somewhat small, and yet cozy apartment. The wallpaper was tattered a bit, and the room filled with used furniture. After living on the streets of Columbia, this was by far an upgrade for the both of them; perks of saving up there money that was made of one-hundred percent silver The two sat down and began to eat their meal which consisted of soup and some toast on the side. Jaune scarfed down his toast in seconds and started on his soup until he heard a stifled giggle from Elizabeth._

 _"You certainly are hungry." She said, and he smirked at her for a few moments before tasting the soup._

 _"Can you blame me? It's delicious," he replied, and the two then continued to eat in silence. That was until Elizabeth got his attention. He felt her hand on his, and he looked up to see her signature smile. It was the same smile that kept him going the whole time they were in Columbia. In those moments, Jaune thought back to how much she had been there for him when he needed it, never once doubting him. He was almost too caught up in his thoughts as he saw Elizabeth's mouth moving, but not listening to her words._

 _"Can I just say that it feels weird in a good way that we're here?" she asked, and Jaune smirked while leaning back a bit in his chair._

 _"We did make this our long-term goal. It's always strange to realize that you've achieved said goal. That's how I felt when I went to Beacon on my first day." Jaune said as he folded his arms while still smiling at Elizabeth. That smile morphed into a look of confusion as he saw Elizabeth look downtrodden when he brought up his old school. "Something wrong?" he asked a little concerned._

 _"What is the next step for you Jaune?" Elizabeth asked, and Jaune had to take a second to reel back from this question. "You made it," she nervously chuckled and brushed her hair in an agitated manner. "And now know the truth of what others will often ponder and debate if it's true or not." Jaune looked down a bit at his soup and couldn't help but look at his reflection._

 _"You mean how the possibilities of time and reality are infinite?" Jaune asked, and Elizabeth nodded. Jaune sat there for a few moments, pondering what he was about to say in response._

 _"Do you want to go back to Remnant?" she asked, and Jaune looked up to her slightly wide-eyed and noticed that she didn't say it excitedly, her deflated form was evidence to that._

 _"I honestly have no clue," Jaune answered and placed a hand on his head. "I mean what we learned last night or today. I have no clue anymore." A slight giggle came from Elizabeth, "It's a lot; Way too much to make any decisions at the moment. I honestly just want to relax and not worry about fighting, Grimm or Comstock's men otherwise."_

 _Elizabeth looked down slightly, and Jaune grew confused once more, was his answer not what she wanted? "What about your friends? Won't they miss you?" she asked, and Jaune scoffed slightly._

 _"To tell you the truth Elizabeth? I don't think they miss me in the slightest." Before Elizabeth could react, Jaune put his hands up in defense. "That doesn't mean they don't care. I just think that my overall impact at Beacon is minuscule." Jaune softly smiled for no specific reason as he took another spoonful of his soup._

 _"Jaune," Elizabeth said while giving him a flat look. "I've seen you fight. If what you say is true about your friends surpassing you in every aspect, I'm a little frightened at the thought of seeing any of them mad." Jaune chuckled at this and looked up at his friend. "But why do you think that it won't affect them that much?" she asked, and Jaune sighed slightly._

 _"Believe it or not, I was a crappy leader to two of my teammates. At the time, I shoved my partner away for no apparent reason other than my bravado told me to do so. As for my other friends, I could tell that I was some comedic device to them. I'm just Vomit Boy. A guy with no skills and would hit on a girl and then get laughed at every time I'm shot down." Jaune had no idea that this entire time, his hand that was holding his spoon bent the metal into the table. "Would you care if someone like that left?" Jaune asked, and Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at him._

 _"Jaune," she started, and Jaune chuckled slightly._

 _"You sound as if you want to take me back there," Jaune commented, and her eyes widened at this. Before she could do anything, the blonde stood up and took his dishes over to the cramped kitchen and proceeded to wash them. Elizabeth didn't know what to do in those moments, so all she could do was sit in her chair, feeling slightly stupid for making him think that she didn't want him around._

 _Elizabeth turned in her chair to see the blonde knight vigorously working, and her eyes softened slightly. Jaune noticed this but said nothing as he continued to scrub his bowl. Before Elizabeth could say anything, Jaune walked over to the living room couch and took off his vest and shirt. He then grabbed a blanket in the corner of the room where they kept some of their safekeeping. Jaune then laid there for a while until Elizabeth sighed. After five minutes of doing some busy work, he heard her bedroom shut. Jaune closed his eyes in frustration and sat up from his make-shift bed, feeling a little crappy as to how he just treated his closest friend at the moment._

 _"Way to screw the pooch like always Arc," Jaune muttered to himself, and he looked down while bringing out his scroll. He went through a few photos on his device, and despite having no signal, he felt his heart tighten when he saw his friends contacts next to their faces. Did they miss him? No, of course not. Jaune overheard Weiss and Pyrrha talking about the Ursa incident. They didn't trust him to take care of it, so much that Pyrrha took matters into her own hands. That wasn't what he needed. Hell, that's not what he needed even now. What he did need now was some courage and some god damn common sense. He had just been through hell, and as soon as they get out, he pushed the one person that had been there for him. Stupidity was the foundation of the emotions swirling in his mind._

 _"Maybe tomorrow will be a fresh start," Jaune said to himself as he set his scroll on the coffee table in front of him. "That, and sleep is more than needed." He yawned and laid back on the couch. After sleeping on the pavement and makeshift cots for the past month, this felt as if he was sinking into a pile of marshmallows, even if the springs practically stabbing into his back. That feeling was the last thing before his eyes grew heavy and drifted into sleep._

 _Tapping interrupted his sleep. After the third time, Jaune scrunched his face and opened his eyes. It was late, given that the sky was pitch black sans the white dots that decorated it. He looked at his scroll to see that it was two in the morning at the moment and he groaned. He couldn't even get a full night's rest in a safe environment. Jaune was about to turn over to try and get some more sleep but was caught off guard when he saw Elizabeth standing at the foot of his bed._

 _"Elizabeth?" Jaune asked with a hint of concern as he sat up. He was about to grab his shirt to put back on but was cut off by Elizabeth walking over to his side. The confusion within Jaune was growing by the minute as he noticed that she wore a robe that she bought during their day in the city. The black silk illuminated in contrast, and Jaune saw that there was confliction written on her face. "Elizabeth, what's going on? Did something ha-" in that second, Jaune felt the weight of Elizabeth on him, and Jaune's eyes widened as he felt her lips on his. Despite his muffled protests, she continued to deepen the kiss, and he felt her arms wrap around the back of his neck, pulling him towards her. Jaune could feel his entire body go rigid at the sudden onslaught of pleasure and in a moment of pure instinct, he pushed away from her._

 _"Elizabeth?!" he exclaimed as he pushed her away. She was still on top of him and was now sitting upright while straddling his waist._

 _"Yes Jaune?" she asked as if nothing was new. The blonde night raised an agitated eyebrow at this in response._

 _"You kiss me in the dead of night, and "Yes Jaune?" is all you can come up with?!" Jaune asked, and Elizabeth looked at him with a raised eyebrow of her own._

 _"I'm not apologizing if that's what you're getting at," she responded, and Jaune took a deep breath to suppress any urges he had with every fiber of his being._

 _"Why are you acting like this?" Jaune asked as he began to sweat bullets while Elizabeth leaned forward slightly and placed both her hands on Jaune's face._

 _"I don't want you to go home, Jaune."_

 _Jaune's breath hitched slightly. He nearly forgot to blink as he looked at her and saw a smile laced with a hint of anxiety._

 _"I have spent my life with nothing but a tower with a monster as the only thing to keep me company. You honestly think I'm going to let the first person I've met, my first friend, out of my life? Just because we made it out doesn't mean I want you gone. You're not a tool to me Jaune. You're my friend." Jaune looked away for a few moments in an attempt to regain his composure._

 _"And at the moment, it seems even more," Jaune said trying not lose his composure._

 _"True, though it seems you don't mind."_

 _Jaune saw the knowing smile on her face, and his blush along with the situation downstairs conveyed how he felt. He could hear the soft giggle from Elizabeth, and before he could say anything else, he saw her face lean forward. Their lips were only centimeters apart._

 _"And what's so wrong with that?"_

 _Before he could respond, she closed the distance between them and the two began to entangle their arms around one another. Jaune felt his body go on autopilot as he felt his hands run through her hair and couldn't help but feel his heartbeat escalate as he heard gentle moans come from Elizabeth. Before she could go further, Jaune gently pulled away one more time and saw the concern in her eyes._

 _"What's wrong?" she asked, and Jaune took a shaky breath. Despite his time away and despite all the changes that he had been through, Jaune couldn't help but feel that he didn't deserve her. About halfway through their time in Columbia Jaune had already committed more atrocities than he could imagine. Elizabeth needed a stronger man that could have helped her avoid all of the chaos. At the time, Jaune tried to cut off all romantic feelings towards the lovely woman that was now on top of him. The restraint only lasted a few days due to Songbird taking her away from him at the front of Comstock's mansion._

 _Thoughts back to the present, he replied. "I don't know." He turned his head to the scroll on the coffee table. "I'm not complaining in the slightest, but…" Jaune sighed a bit and looked back to Elizabeth. "Is it wrong for me to love you?" Elizabeth's eyebrows rose from the question and the implied confession. He decided to elaborate. "I mean, saying that I just like you sounds amateurish. There's a lot more there than just that, but I don't know how to describe it." Jaune looked away, and his glare intensified as he looked at his sword that was resting in the corner of the room. "And there was no time or place to think about it, you know? But when I chased after you and Songbird at Comstock's mansion," Jaune pondered for a moment, trying to figure out how to word what he was about to say right. "I guess you could say I came to terms with those feelings." The old saying is true. One confronts their true emotions for someone else when he or she is seemingly gone. Jaune learned this as he took his first trip into the complex reality beyond his own in an attempt to get her back._

 _Elizabeth sat there for a moment, processing what he had just said in his pseudo-confession, and she looked down slightly._

 _"She talked to you about it didn't she?" Elizabeth asked, and Jaune nodded, knowing she referred to her older, alternate self. "What did she say?"_

 _Jaune smiled while brushing her hair to the side. "She said not to give up on you… and that I was stupid for being so indecisive." Elizabeth to crack a grin. "It was easier said than done, though." Jaune's tone softened. "I thought you deserved better before everything crazy happened. Now that I find out about all this," Jaune then gestured to her, referring to her abilities. "It's kind of difficult to believe that I had a chan-!" Elizabeth rolled her eyes, cutting Jaune off. She once again pressed her lips to his. That same euphoric jolt came back with the kiss. When she broke away, he noticed that she had a stern look on her face._

 _"Jaune, what have I told you every time you second guessed yourself?" She folded her arms._

 _Jaune tried to look away, but Elizabeth forced him to look into her eyes. "Not to?" he asked, and she smiled slightly._

 _"Correct. Now I want you to think about something." Jaune nodded in response, and she leaned back slightly. "You remain conflicted whether or not the woman you like feels the same, the same woman that you saved time and time again and who is also on top of you at the moment wearing nothing but a robe." She grinned as she saw a look of realization appear on his face. "Now, what are you going to do about it." There was a patient silence between the two. One smiled with mirth mustered his will to act._

 _In an instant, Jaune shot up and stood over Elizabeth. He was off the couch, and the woman in front of him wondered what he would do. It soon became clear when Jaune picked her up. Jaune couldn't help but chuckle when she gasped slightly. "You honestly think we're going to continue here when we have a bed in the next room? I'll be damned before we spend this moment on that spring riddled monstrosity." A sharp blush appeared on Elizabeth's face from his boldness. "Also, sorry for not opening up to you sooner." The two of them felt the atmosphere in the room cool exponentially._

 _Elizabeth laced her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. "Lead the way, fearless leader."_

 _*Jaune had to hold his urges until he carried her to the room. Jaune kept a smile plastered on his face as he looked down to his partner radiating mirth. As cliché as it was, this was heaven compared to his past romantic failures, and there was no way in hell he was complaining._

 _He soon laid her on the bed, and the smile he had never left her face. She had no time to pose or entice him as he was on top of her in an instant. He ignored his shaky breaths and pounding heart. Leaning forward, he made his first initiated kiss._

 _Euphoria flowed into his soul as he felt Elizabeth's arms trace all over his body. Jaune's backed up as she began to unbuckle his belt. His body shivered in delight. Their lips never parted as this took place, and Jaune slithered his hands along her silk robe. Starting from the top, he began to caress her luscious breasts, causing her gasp mid-kiss. Wanting to remove any barrier between them, Jaune proceeded to undo the robe, revealing her naked form to him and only him._

 _Jaune's eyes stared in awe at such sensuality and beauty. The two proceeded to blush furiously as now they were both naked. Both never had first-hand experience in this area. Jaune had Sex Ed and the internet, and Elizabeth only read about it in books. Both could see the stiff lower member. As much as Jaune wanted to fulfill his carnal desires, he forced himself to please her first. With a shaky but determined breath, they are pulled into a kiss even deeper than before. Their tongues began to intertwine, and moans filled the room. They had never felt intense warmth before._

 _Elizabeth let out another muffled moan as she felt Jaune's hand caress her breast. When he played with her nipples, she arched her back at the intense feeling._

 _Soon, a tugging feeling around his member caught him off guard as goosebumps proceeded to cover his body. He looked down to see Elizabeth's free hand grasping him down there while running her fingers up and down._

 _"I can't be the only one feeling this way, Jaune."_

 _He quivered at this sudden feeling and could feel Elizabeth's lips curve up into a smile. With that, he gently slid his forefingers into her, and on instinct, began to work her nether region. With each motion, she moaned in greater intensity. It was only when he hit a particular spot that she quivered in pleasure more than ever before._

 _"Don't you dare stop now," she pleaded._

 _With much strain on his hand, he continued the same motion, each reaction greater than the last. While his fingers pleasured the insides, his thumb began to play with the clitoris._

 _However, she wasn't going to take it lying down, literally in this case. Her hand began to explore even more while not leaving any spot on his member unsatisfied._

 _The feeling from her hand nearly pushed him over the edge, but Elizabeth was the first to go. She let go of Jaune's rod as her entire lower half contracted around his fingers. Loud womanly moans filled the room. The lover's face went red with embarrassment and passion. This feeling was entirely new to her. The books described the brain releasing dopamine and pleasure, but it was nothing compared to feel it in real life._

 _While she panted is slight exhaustion, Jaune looked at his work to see her lower lips drenched with sweet nectar. He didn't know why, but he continued to move on instinct. Slowly, he lowered his head and began to lap up the juices that spilled out._

 _She moaned even more. The tension in her rose even further. She pulled his head from her pussy and connected their lips. Fluids exchanged. The taste of her juices is something that she never imagined. She loved it._

 _Jaune pulled back a little to catch his breath, and both looked at his member. His penis was visibly twitching with precum seeping from the head. It was once Jaune focused on his rod that he felt the pain, pleasure, and pressure building. He wanted, no, needed to feel her loins wrap around him._

 _Before Jaune could do anything else, Elizabeth initiated by pulling him even closer to her._

 _The tip was pressed against her entrance. The sensitive tip felt every sensation. Jaune's cock dripped with anticipation. Elizabeth nodded with approval. Jaune and Elizabeth grasped hands and let out grunts of pure euphoria as they felt the tip become wrapped in her moist walls. They both grew wide-eyed as they were finally connected in one thrust._

 _"Fuu-" escaped his lips._

 _Hands squeezed with every thrust deep inside._

 _Both of them arched back, eyes shut as the unfathomable combination of divine pleasure and pain took over._

 _Within seconds, she took Jaune's hand and placed it once more on her breast, amplified the joy as he gently squeezed massaged both lovely mounds._

 _The repetition in his hips became progressively faster along with an increasing euphoria, hitting the same spot that his fingers did prior. He could hear that whatever he was doing was pushing Elizabeth further. Letting go of her breasts, and he got on his knees and pulled pull her legs up. He continued to thrust downward._

 _Even with all the stimulation before, Jaune gritted his teeth as he felt Elizabeth tighten. He tried with every fiber of his being not to cum too early and won. He pushed onward, reveling in the radiating warmth._

 _Drenched in sweat, Jaune began to gently nibble at her neck, leaving slight love bites on either side._

 _Elizabeth pulled him in tighter, squealing in delight as he traced his tongue over her body._

 _He then shivered mid thrust as she returned the favor ten-fold, deliberately biting a little harder than he did. The sudden stimulation is causing his cock to grow even harder inside of her._

 _"It feels even bigger!" she cried out._

 _Jaune had no idea how long this went for and didn't care. All who mattered was Elizabeth and the expression on her face. Jaune soon winced as he felt that familiar sensation of climaxing becoming apparent. His breathing became rapid, and he hunched over Elizabeth bringing his lips close to hers._

 _"I-I-!" Jaune tried to say as he was cut off due to Elizabeth closing the distance between them._

 _"Me too." Elizabeth whimpered in shaky pleasure and in those moments the two felt a sudden jolt as their hands were placed on each other. Elizabeth's hands were rubbing along Jaune's back, tracing over the countless scars he had and Jaune placed his hand precisely in the spot where that large syringe punctured her back during Comstock's sick experiments. While both scars brought up horrible memories, but it didn't dampen the passion in the slightest._

 _To Jaune, it reminded him how she tended to his wounds and the numerous times she had brought him back from the brink. Her touch solidified that she would look after him and while being a little reckless, she wouldn't leave him to suffer._

 _To Elizabeth, the mark on her back was a symbol of the oppression and pain she had to endure. But, it was also a symbol of how Jaune never gave up on her. She knew from the start he would chase after her. Her beliefs came to fruition as she heard him frantically scream her name while he kicked down the front door of the experimentation room drenched in blood with a shotgun in hand. Jaune kept his promise, and in the end, he did his damnedest to protect her until the very end. He even fought against the metal captor, Songbird. His touch made her heart burst. Hot tears of joy streamed down her face once she finally became one with his._

 _These swirled feelings caused the two to come even closer together._

 _"Elizabeth, I can't hold any longer!"_

 _"Just let it all out inside me."_

 _With a synchronized moan of pleasure, the final thrust released it all. Jaune's member contracted and grew to its climax. Both orgasmed at once. His restraint couldn't take it anymore and release all of his semen into the woman he loved. The two finally came and shivered in ecstasy against one another._

 _She could feel his hot juices melt deep inside her. "It's still coming out..." she whispered._

 _Jaune pulled out, only release the rest, sending cum shots on her. "Sorry..." he stated with embarrassment._

 _To her, she didn't care. If anything, the warmth inside now matched the outside.*_

 _Within a few moments, Jaune collapsed on top of her. Elizabeth let out a short laugh as she felt the full weight of Jaune. She pushed him off to the side, and the two stared at the ceiling. Heavy panting filled the void of silence in the bedroom._

 _"Is this when I ask if you enjoyed it, or do I just take it as a yes?"_

 _Elizabeth gave him a knowing look. "I believe the French answer is to smoke a cigarette and reply that it wasn't what I expected. Then again, I'm not French." Instead, she embraced him in a tender hug. "I loved every moment of it. You never disappoint me." Jaune sheepishly smiled in response to this, and Elizabeth closed her eyes. "You know, I could get used to this. A life to ourselves in this wonderful city."_

 _Elizabeth failed to see Jaune's elated expression, and with all the emotions that were concocting in his head, he smiled and tapped Elizabeth on the nose. "Boop."_

In those moments of utter bliss, Jaune had awoken from his slumber and immediately regretted it. His head felt as if a Goliath was running rampant within his synapses and for some reason, his eyes were much more sensitive than usual due to squinting at the light that was piercing through the somewhat closed blinds. A familiar ceiling fan hung overhead, and Jaune couldn't help but groan when he realized where he was. "Beacon Infirmary," he grumbled and attempted to put his left hand on his face but soon discovered that his efforts were fruitless. "What the?" he asked as he saw his left wrist cuffed to the bed. "You have got to be shitting me," he grumbled as he looked around for the time. The sun looked as if it was on the borderline of rising or setting and it was starting to drive him slightly insane. Jaune felt relief flow through himself as he saw his scroll on the dresser right next to him and activated it. Two seconds later, his scroll fell from his hands in a fit of shock, and he couldn't help but let out a frustrated growl at the discovery that he was out for almost thirty-six hours. He didn't even have to give it a second thought as his hands began to grow red and soon after, Jaune could feel the metal of the cuffs melt of his wrist and onto the tiled floor below.

"Sweet Oum, what the hell happened?" he asked himself and massaged his wrist that was confined. After relieving himself in the bathroom, he came out to see no one had noticed that he had woken up, due to the room still being vacant. Jaune took this opportunity to inspect the drawers of his room, and with a sigh of relief, he saw his clothes that he usually wore after his trip from Columbia and proceeded to change out of his hospital gown. To his dismay, however, he noticed that his weapons weren't among his clothes and assumed that they were in his weapon locker. He was about to head out of his room until he froze due to confronting the sudden question of how he even ended up here in the first place.

 _"Not only that but why you were cuffed to the bed as well."_

Jaune grumbled as he heard the nagging tone of whoever was in his head. "I remember the dance," Jaune said to himself as he tried to remember. He could piece things together here and there, but some parts are still hazy in his memory.

 _"Don't forget about Ice queen."_

Jaune nodded at this and felt his heart clench at the memory of him and Elizabeth that followed soon after that. "I went to get a shitfaced. I remember that, and after that, I got nothing." Jaune said to himself and soon realized what this meant. "Fuck. Everyone's probably on missions at the moment." this setback to finding answers caused the voice to chuckle slightly. "You find this funny because?" Jaune asked with his arms folded.

 _"Because you don't see the opportunity here,"_ the voice replied _. "You honestly don't see that if your friends were here, they would rip your head off for drinking again. You wouldn't be able to get any answers from the source. Last I checked the bullheads are still operational around this time of day."_

Jaune mentally kicked himself for not thinking that part through and as he looked back to the bed he was residing in, he also realized that whoever cuffed him wanted to make sure that he didn't leave until they said so. "Alright, get weapons, get to Vale, and get answers," Jaune muttered to himself as he checked his scroll one last time. A sudden urge filled his being as he saw his contacts along the frame of his scroll and he was about to press on Nora's icon until he shook his head and slowly creaked open the door. Once he made sure that he was clear to leave, he proceeded to head down the hallway and towards his locker. Despite most of the school being on missions, it still didn't make his task easy as the blonde knight had to dart in and out of empty classrooms to avoid being seen by various students and teachers.

After what seemed like hours, Jaune had finally made it to the arena and quickly made his way down the steps. There was no hesitation as he vaulted over the railing and quickly darted to the locker room. Once he made it, he quietly stalked the aisles in case of other students that were prepping for potential missions. Once he had made it to this section, he turned the corner and slightly gasped while crouching to the floor as he spotted a student rummaging through their things.

"Let's just get this over with," he heard the student grumble and couldn't help but feel both dread and relief as the voice of Cardin Winchester filled the room. "One more day and you can finally kiss this shithole goodbye." Jaune raised an eyebrow in concern for what his acquaintance had said. Jaune could also see that Cardin was taping up his fists and also notice the bruises all over his forearms and wrists. Was he following Jaune's instructions when they trained that one time on the roof? Despite this question lingering in Jaune's head, Cardin was the only person standing between him and his things. He knew that talking to him should be the wisest choice, but there were too many variables to gamble on that risk. Did Cardin know that he was confined to his bed? Would he tell the others? Even if that possibility contained a small percentage of fruition, Jaune couldn't risk it. Cardin was in most of his armor so beating him into submission wouldn't suffice. Jaune nodded to himself as he slowly crept forward, hands ready to pounce.

With a quick breath, Jaune leaped at Cardin and proceeded to put the Huntsman in training into a chokehold. What Jaune didn't expect was that the hulking student didn't even take a second to use Jaune's momentum against him and Cardin proceeded to throw Jaune over his shoulder and charged him into the lockers. A loud crashing noise reverberated off the metal lockers and walls as Jaune let out a groan of pain. Before the blonde knight could even react, Cardin grabbed him by the chest and reeled his fist back, in a last ditched effort to defend himself, Jaune put his hands up in front of his face.

"Jaune?!" Cardin exclaimed and dropped the blonde knight to the floor. An oof noise soon escaped Jaune, followed by a groan and the slightly bruised huntsman in training staggered to get up.

"Been taking my advice to heart huh?" Jaune chuckled and let out a sharp hiss as he clutched his side. Aura would heal it in moments, but that didn't mean it wasn't a bitch to deal with at the moment.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Cardin asked, disregarding Jaune's quip and looked over the blonde's shoulder, just in case anyone else followed.

"Getting my weapons and heading to Vale." Jaune walked passed his former bully and undid the lock on his locker. Elation was written all over Jaune's face as he saw his holster housing his hand cannon and the vambrace which was on top of it.

"And attacking me was wise because?" Jaune heard Cardin asked a little irritated and Jaune rolled his eyes.

"I don't know if you know this, but being cuffed to a bed could mean a lot of things, including having the faculty keeping tabs on you. The last thing I want is attention at the moment. It was nothing personal, and I didn't know if you would tell anyone." Jaune said as he fastened his weapons to his person. Cardin didn't seem satisfied at this, and Jaune let out a sigh. "Who did you tell?" Jaune asked flatly but frustrated, and Cardin raised an eyebrow.

"I was supposed to tell your team when you woke up, but your look is saying otherwise am I right?" Cardin asked with folded arms, and Jaune nodded. "So, what is your plan?" he asked, and Jaune raised an eyebrow. "What? My mission is the same one as your team's. Escorting some broad to her place so she can move here to Beacon. They told me to stay and watch you." Jaune nodded in realization and remembered what Cardin had told him what his situation was with his team that time on the roof.

"Good. You'll make getting to the Bullheads easier." Jaune said as he shut the door to his locker and turned to his temporary partner who was giving him a confused look. "Well?" Jaune asked somewhat irritated. "Let's get going," he said as the two proceeded to the docks.

"Why are we going to Vale anyway?" Cardin whispered to Jaune as the two exited the arena and back into the hallway. Cardin remained as a lookout and Jaune did his best to not draw any attention to himself. The blonde mentally sighed at this question but decided to indulge Cardin.

"To be honest, I have no idea what happened two nights ago," Jaune replied as he looked up and down the empty hallways. "Going to the last place I went to will give me a lead." Cardin stopped in his tracks and looked to Jaune, confused beyond belief.

"Then why not go talk to Ozpin instead of acting like you're a prisoner here?!" Cardin exclaimed, frustrated at the somewhat stupidity of Jaune's methods. Jaune rushed to Cardin and gestured for him to shut up quickly before someone noticed.

"Do you know how much shit Beacon has given me since I got back?!" Jaune hissed and jabbed a finger into the metal plating of Cardin's chest. "Personally, I'm getting pretty fucking sick of it. Hell, I'll probably stay in Vale for a while after I get what I need." Jaune then walked passed Cardin, clearly frustrated at his situation.

"You mean how you got drugged at a bar two nights ago?" Cardin asked as the two huntsmen in training reached the outside of Beacon and were about to head into the courtyard. Jaune stopped in his tracks, and Cardin could see the back of Jaune's head tilt in confusion and the blonde looked back to Cardin with a look that said 'explain.' Cardin huffed at this and folded his arms. "The school caught wind of your little drinking habit, and it was overheard that you were slipped something. A passed-out student being carried by a woman back to the dance is a sight to see." Jaune raised his eyebrows as Cardin said this and stood there for a few moments.

"Drugged?" Jaune asked to himself, yet Cardin nodded in response and Jaune proceeded to look down at his feet. It did explain why he was out for so long and why he felt like he had one of the shittiest hangovers of his life. The questions that remained were who and why? He knew it wasn't Rory that slipped him anything. That guy was a stickler for the rules. That left only…

Cardin could see realization flash over Jaune's eyes as he rose his head up, only to be followed by absolute anger. Cardin knew that look. It was one that used to have when he didn't get what he wanted, and it was the same one that his father had when he was drunk off his ass and pissed off at something. Jaune was much more focused, and the fury only seemed to grow. This was apparent by the way Jaune practically stormed to the bullheads that were at the end of the long walkway.

"Jaune?" Cardin asked as he had to jog up to the blonde knight in question. His look didn't falter, and it seemed as if Jaune didn't even acknowledge him in the slightest. "Jaune, what's happening?" there was concern apparent in his voice and Jaune refused to answer as the two went up to one of the Bullheads.

"Vale," Jaune growled at the pilot and despite having a fearful reaction to Jaune's presence, proceeded to enter the coordinates towards the city. Cardin was starting to become frustrated at Jaune's sudden silence and sat down across from his temporary partner.

"Do you mind telling me what the hell crawled up your ass?" Cardin growled, and Jaune's response was a glare that resembled the one he was given after the Ursa Incident in the Forever Fall.

"I know where we need to go," Jaune replied and looked down at his scroll to check the time. "Don't intervene, just go with it when we get there." Fear fell into the pit of Cardin's stomach as Jaune said this decided not even to question it. The rest of the ride consisted of silence with the occasional clicking noise of Jaune checking his vambrace. During this time, Cardin couldn't help but see how unhinged Jaune was becoming. There was an impatience to his person that was visible for someone as thick-headed as himself and Cardin knew that he wasn't going to be able to take much more of Beacon's or anyone else's crap. This conclusion led Cardin to follow his gut and just let Jaune do his thing. The last thing the person in front of him needed was someone telling him what to do.

The bullhead landed, and as soon as the wheels touched down, Jaune was practically out of the airship and storming down the street with a presence that made pedestrians steer far away from him. Cardin couldn't help but cringe at the scene that Jaune was making and could safely assume that Jaune didn't care in the slightest.

Both students stopped in their tracks however as they both received notifications from their scrolls and couldn't help but look at one another in confusion. With anxious hands, Cardin opened his scroll and couldn't help but close his eyes in frustration at what he saw before him. Peaking Jaune's curiosity, the blonde knight followed suit and couldn't help but share Cardin's demeanor as he saw a picture of himself on his scroll along with some text.

'Missing: Jaune Arc, Age: Eighteen, Hair: Blonde, Eyes: Blue,

Last seen: Beacon Infirmary 4:00 pm.

Approach with caution and alert any Beacon staff if spotted.'

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Jaune picked up the pace and tied his sash up to his mouth, Cardin followed Jaune's pace and looked to his partner.

"I take it that your team is going to pounce on you any second now?" Cardin asked as they took a quick left turn into an alley. Though Cardin didn't know it, Jaune hid from the crowds and knew a straight path to where they needed to go.

"More like go on a warpath," Jaune grumbled as he readied his vambrace, and Cardin couldn't help but feel a chill go through him as Jaune pulled out his hand cannon.

"What exactly are we doing?" Cardin asked somewhat confused and couldn't help but brandish his mace as well.

The two exited the alleyway and walked a bit down the main street. At this point, Jaune had pocketed his gun from the public, but Cardin could see that Jaune's extended vambrace. Jaune lowered his sash as he soon stopped and stood before a specific door.

Cardin looked up to the establishment that they arrived at and he raised his eyebrow. "Jaune?"

The blonde turned back to him. "We're just getting some answers," Jaune replied a little too flat and entered the bar. Cardin let out a frustrated sigh and followed suit. Once Cardin was in, he noticed that Jaune remained still only a few feet away from him and he soon realized that Jaune was scanning the crowd that consisted of a few older looking people and a few women as well, all clad in upper-class attire and Cardin couldn't help but scowl at the scene. It reminded him of the joints his dad would visit.

Cardin saw Jaune quickly make his way further into the bar and noticed that he was practically charging into the server. Before anyone could say anything to them, Cardin winced as Jaune grabbed ahold of the waiter by the collar and threw him against the wall. A high-pitched cry could be heard from the lanky kid a little younger than them, and Cardin cringed as all eyes were on Jaune.

"MR. ARC?! WHAT ARE Y-AAGH!" The waiter didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as Jaune slammed him once more into the wall, this time making a deep indentation within the paint and wallpaper.

As this occurred, Cardin could feel his scroll frantically vibrating, and he pried his eyes away from what was happening, only for what remaining courage he had to shrivel up and die as he saw that Pyrrha Nikos was calling him. He looked back at Jaune who kept the waiter in a frightened state of mind despite the loud protests from the bartender. The Huntsman in training let out a sigh, knowing that this wouldn't end well no matter what. He answered the video call and felt his heart race as the feed was connecting. Once the screen lit up, Cardin mentally whimpered at the three pairs of eyes that were boring into his soul, not pleased with the notification that every Beacon student received. "Before you say anything," Cardin held a finger up to emphasize what he needed to say was urgent. "I was roped in against my-"

"If you don't work here I suggest you get the FUCK OUT!"

Cardin was interrupted by the sudden rise of Jaunes voice followed by a gunshot going off. Cardin flinched as the booming echo bounced off the compact walls followed by a few screams and overall cries of terror. Cardin looked back from Jaune who had his hand canon pointed at the ceiling and slowly turned back to his three temporary teammates, mortified at what they had just heard. "I'm not his teammate. You need to deal with this," Cardin said flatly as he hung up the call. He turned back to Jaune who thankfully had holstered his gun and used his right forearm to hold the waiter up by the neck.

"FOR OUM'S SAKE BOY!" the bartender shouted, clearly angry at the events that had quickly transpired. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"

Jaune said nothing as he slowly turned his head to the bartender and gave him a knowing look. The man behind the counter looked as if someone had been caught red-handed. "Who were they, Ryan?" Jaune asked flatly as Rory struggled against the choke hold. Ryan gasped slightly at the sudden ambiance of death. Jaune pressed harder into Rory's neck, causing the waiter to let out a soft but strangled cry.

"Sweet Oum, Jaune. Just stop," Cardin said a little terrified of what he was witnessing. He looked back to the bartender now known to him as Ryan and could see his face contort with confliction and fear.

Finally, the blonde released the lock on his vambrace and held skyhook at the waiter's eye level. "Time's running out Ryan," Jaune growled and flexed his index and middle fingers, causing the hooks to spin too fast for their eyes to track.

"Jaune, What are you doing! Let him go!" Cardin shouted, his mace at the ready. Despite this, Cardin felt as if his legs were frozen in place, unable to take a step forward. Jaune didn't reply and instead inched the skyhook closer to Rory's head, causing the volume in his choking voice to rise.

"Come on Ryan!" Jaune nearly roared as the hook was only millimeters away from Rory. "WHO PAID YOU TO DRUG ME?!"

At this point Cardin looked away, doing everything he could to drown out the ferocious noise of the hooks spinning.

"THE ARCS, DAMMIT!" Ryan screamed as he nearly collapsed forward and let out a breath. Cardin was struck senseless with confusion as Ryan shouted this. What the hell did he mean by the Arcs?

*CRACK!*

Both Cardin and Ryan looked on in horror, fearing the worst. Cardin charged the blonde knight but was immediately relieved. Jaune's skyhook smashed only millimeters away from Rory's temple, causing the wall to splinter and crack. Rory petrified with a dark stain around his groin area.

Jaune let go of Rory, and the waiter as he slid down the wall. Tears were in his eyes, and the waiter began to sob softly. Jaune retracted the hook back into its vambrace. Jaune knelt down to Rory who was quivering violently. The two were at eye level as the soft sapphire irises stared into the petrified brown ones. "I'm not sorry for what I did, Rory." Jaune stood up while hoisting the waiter's arm around his shoulder. Cardin and Ryan looked on with unease as Jaune helped his victim to a nearby booth and set him gently into the cushioned seat. Jaune proceeded to head straight towards and snatched a spare bottle of whiskey from the counter with a glare that practically spelled out death to Ryan. Jaune walked back to Rory who was still shaking. Jaune opened the bottle and gave it to Rory while looking away in slight shame. "But I am sorry that I had to do it. Gladly, it never went beyond return." A confused Rory decided to take the bottle down it all.

Jaune chuckled slightly at this and folded his arms. "Now," Jaune growled as he once more brandished his hand cannon, but didn't aim it at anyone in particular. "You're going to tell me why my family did it."

Ryan was beyond terrified at the person whose eyes bared a primal instinct. He had heard what had happened to the two that paid him. One ending up somewhat bruised while the other had a shattered elbow and a severe concussion. He didn't want to believe that Jaune was the cause of it, but what he was staring at was all the proof that he needed to see that there was a monster in his bar at the moment.

"They threatened me." Ryan let out in a defeated tone and Jaune raised an eyebrow. He looked to Cardin for another reaction, and the student was just if not more confused as he was.

"Dad's a politician." Jaune snapped back while cocking the hammer to his gun, making everyone's shoulder's go tense. "You think he would risk threatening citizens to get what he wants?" Jaune noticed the frustration growing on Ryan and not a moment after asking, the burly man's hands slammed down on the bar.

"WELL, HE CERTAINLY DIDN'T GIVE A FUCK WHEN HE HAD HIS MEN BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF ME IN THE BACK ALLEY!" Ryan roared.

Jaune didn't give him the pleasure of reacting to his outburst and decided to retain his blank stare. Cardin and Rory were both shocked at the outburst.

"BASTARD WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU CAME HERE! I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T KNOW YOU AND THAT'S WHEN HE THREATENED ME, MY JOB, AND MY FUCKING NEPHEW WITH THAT SECRET POLICE HE LETS LOOSE ON THE KINGDOM!"

Cardin couldn't believe what he had just heard from Ryan who had practically screeched this at the top of his lungs. The Huntsman in training knew corruption was apparent, but this? It was then Cardin began to wonder if the Grimm were the real enemies.

"You're spineless," Jaune replied as he walked forward and yanked Ryan by the collar of his shirt. "And so is that piece of shit Alexander." Ryan saw Jaune's hand glow slightly brighter and without realizing sooner, Jaune had shoved him back and aimed his hand cannon at his head.

"Jaune! Holy shit, man. Put the gun away!" Cardin said, more frustrated than frightened as he looked out the window to check if anyone had notified the police.

"You could have said something to me, to Ozpin. You have a way of contacting him if he notified you to blacklist me." Jaune continued, ignoring Cardin's plea for him to stop. Ryan's breath hitched as Jaune said this and the blonde could see the realization and utter stupidity seep through the stoic façade and Ryan crumpled to the ground. Shame rose from the room, and Jaune looks on with nothing but disgust at the rat that was in front of him.

"C'mon." Jaune turned to Cardin as he said this and holstered his gun. "We're done here." Jaune paced over to the back exit and kicked down the door with a sense of urgency. He could hear the high-pitched whine of the police sirens, and without even acknowledging if Cardin was on board or not, Jaune proceeded to dart down the alleys that intertwined within the inner workings of Vale. He could hear the heavy footsteps of Cardin behind him and slightly grinned, knowing that his teammate wouldn't turn tail. After a few minutes of darting around tight corners and covering their tracks, the two found themselves at the end of an alley and facing a massive crowd that sprawled over the town square of Vale.

"Alright," Jaune said to Cardin as Jaune peaked behind the corner. "The Bullheads are just across the square. If we just ac-!" Jaune was cut off as he felt the back of his shirt and vest being pulled and Jaune let out a startled cry as he was slammed into the brick wall by Cardin.

"WHAT THE FUCK, JAUNE!" Cardin shouted while practically seething through his teeth. In his dazed confusion, Jaune looked on to see his former bully, angry beyond belief as well as frustrated. Jaune looked to the side where the square was and saw that no one had noticed anything yet and couldn't tell to be frightened or worried. Before Jaune could say anything, Cardin pulled him inward and slammed once more into the wall. "DO YOU FUCKING KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?! YOU BEAT AND PROBABLY SCARRED A MAN FOR LIFE, MENTALLY TORTURED HIS UNCLE, AND NEARLY SHOT HIM! SWEET OUM JAUNE, WHAT THE FUCK?!" Cardin proceeded to release more of his anger and threw Jaune inward into the alley.

Coughing could be heard from Jaune as he struggled to get up, out of all the fights that he had with Cardin, he had never felt strength like this, neither had seen him this angry at anything. It didn't scare him, but Jaune knew not to be stupid in this situation.

"I did what I had to do," Jaune replied as he got up and rolled his shoulders. Whatever restraint that Cardin had was lost as he saw that hulking man charged towards him with his mace in hand. Jaune barely had time to react as Cardin's mace was thrust forward, barley grazing Jaune's aura. Jaune grabbed the hilt of the mace and used the leverage he had to turn Cardin around, and Jaune took Cardin's moment of imbalance to kick him a few feet back. "I knew he would talk; he just needed the right motivation." Jaune brushed himself a bit as he saw Cardin get up and somehow, his anger kept growing.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF?!" Cardin yelled and once more swung his mace at Jaune's head. Jaune ducked underneath the horizontal swing and was about to move in until he saw at the last moment, Cardin's mace coming down upon him. Jaune dove to the side and rolled out of the way. A jolt of slight fear shivered through Jaune as he saw the impressive crater that Cardin had created in the spot he was in moments before. "YOU SOUND LIKE A FUCKING PSYCHOPATH! WHAT YOU DID DOESN'T HELP EITHER!" he couldn't tell if it was from just the fight, or Cardin himself, but anger began to creep into Jaune as well. He was tired of this. Obstacle after obstacle, Jaune had to push through, and what made it even worse was that there was one right in front of him. Jaune decided it was his time to charge forward and unfastened his skyhook once more. Jaune aimed at Cardin's chest but saw that the huntsman in training's position was sturdy enough to hold him off. Jaune's hooks made contact with the hilt of Cardin's mace, and the two proceeded to lock in close and attempted to fend off the other.

"YOU HONESTLY THINK I ENJOY THIS?!" Jaune shouted back, breaking his façade and showing an equivalent amount of anger. "THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF THAT BASTARD DRUGGED ME!" Jaune emphasized his point with a shove, but Cardin stood his ground.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD SOMEONE!" Cardin exclaimed as he pressed in on his handle and saw that the fire dust crystal was charging. "DIDN'T YOU EVEN CONSIDER YOUR OWN ADVICE?! YOU COULD HAVE TOLD OZPIN! FUCK, HOW ABOUT YOUR DAMN TEAM FOR ONCE?!" Cardin snapped back and used his aura infused strength to shove Jaune back. Jaune fell to the ground but rolled back to recover and noticed the dust crystal Cardin had in his mace, fully charged. The look he was also giving the blonde created a sense of dread within Jaune's heart as Cardin had a look of utter rage and disappointment. "You were never huntsman material, weren't you?" He growled, and Jaune's eyes narrowed at this. As Cardin slammed his mace down, Jaune got up and charged at Cardin. The Mace was about to ignite just above Jaune's head and with an overwhelming force of anger, Jaune let out a cry and charged head first into the attack, causing an explosion to engulf the damp alley.

Cardin let out a few breaths as he panted heavily after that attack. The smoke from the explosion was still apparent as he began to cough. However, what he soon noticed was how there was still pressure at the end of his mace. Cardin was trying to pull back, only to feel as if it was wedged into something and before he could do anything more, he felt a fist smash into his face. Cardin let out a surprised cry and stumbled back. Confusion pulsed through Cardin as he felt a burning sensation across his left cheek. Before he could check once more if he were right on his assumption, he felt himself being tackled to the ground. He and his assailant tumbled for a few moments, each getting in their punches, but ended with Cardin on his back looking up to see Jaune Arc, the personification of rage at the moment, with a fist that was practically on fire. Cardin's eyes widened as he saw that his opponent's fingers were practically melting. Cardin didn't have the chance to question this as he felt the molten fist being slammed into his face repeatedly. Punch after punch, it felt as if Cardin's whole head was on fire and as he felt this unbearable burning, he could hear the unhinged cries of anger coming from the blonde. Cardin couldn't hold on much longer, and his aura was at its limits. It wasn't long after that onslaught of punches when he felt himself being picked up by his chest plate and slammed into a wall. Cardin could see that Jaune's molten hand was placed on his chest and only moments later, Cardin could feel the heat radiating within his armor. He looked up in his beyond dazed state and saw that Jaune was practically glaring into his soul while seething at the teeth.

"MAYBE I WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A HUNTSMAN!" Jaune screamed as he punched Cardin once more. "EVER THINK ABOUT THAT?! WHERE DO YOU THINK I WAS GOING AFTER THIS?! BACK TO BEACON?!" Jaune didn't hesitate as he landed a left hook to Cardin's jaw, feeling his aura shatter. "WE BOTH KNOW THAT EVEN THE FUCKING FACULTY HATES ME THERE, LET ALONE THE ENTIRE SCHOOL!" Jaune let go of Cardin's chest plate as he shoved him back into the wall. "AND MY FRIENDS?! EVERYONE BESIDES NORA DOESN'T WANT ME HERE! THEY WANT VOMIT BOY! JUST SOME WEAKLING THEY CAN WALK OVER! WHAT KIND OF FRIENDS ARE THOSE?! HUH?!" Jaune received no answer from Cardin as he asked this and in a fit of anger, he shoved him once more. "SAY SOMETHING DAMMIT!" Cardin didn't let out a single word but instead gave Jaune a look. A single look to stop the fighting. Jaune's hands dropped to his side, and he slowly backed up as Cardin didn't stop. The only sound to occupy them was the heavy breathing from both combatants and the frustrated grunts that occasionally came from Jaune. That look that Cardin was practically stabbing into his being was one he shared far too often. Eyes soft, eyebrows creased in concern, and overall a sense of worry. Cardin was scared, not for his wellbeing or even Jaune, but scared that the two had the same mindset towards the truth of the matter. The truth that they weren't truly welcomed at Beacon, perhaps Vale or even Remnant as well.

Jaune let out a frustrated cry as he backed up to the wall, opposite of Cardin. Jaune proceeded to slide down the wall and crouched while using his hands to cover his face. Jaune felt a sense of betrayal in his being as he sat there, doing his best not to break down. He felt after going through everything in Columbia, that this world, his home had stabbed him in the back. There was no embrace, no welcome, just disdain and spite towards the change. He tried, Oum knows he gave it his all to change, and it still wasn't enough.

"What the hell happened to us?" Jaune looked up to see that Cardin had slid down the wall and was somewhat sprawled against it. He was looking away from Jaune, yet shared the same look. Both huntsmen in training, warriors that were supposed to defend humanity and Faunus kind against the grim, were on the brink of breaking down. "Leaders of our teams, seemingly good friends with them." Cardin then looked to his left, further down the alley to see that his mace was a little dented but not unusable. Jaune took this moment to completely sit down and extended his right leg out while resting his arm on his knee.

"I honestly thought you'd blame me for what happened, losing your team and all," Jaune said, and this caused Cardin to scoff slightly.

"I wanted to. Believe me, I did." Cardin replied as he let out a breath and massaged his jaw. "I don't know. I just knew it wasn't right. Can't explain it." Jaune chuckled slightly and saw that Cardin gave him an agitated look. In response, he waved it off, indicating that he wasn't trying to insult him.

"At least your judgment is still there," Jaune replied, and Cardin smirked slightly.

"Guess you're right," Cardin replied and winced as he moved his neck in a wrong way. "By the way, and I mean this in the best way," Jaune raised his eyebrow at this and Cardin pointed at him, specifically his hand. "The fuck is that?" Jaune looked down to only widen his eyes as he saw his hand that was glowing red with molten fingertips. On instinct, Jaune did his best to cover it up and proceeded to take a few deep breaths in an attempt to make the vigor go away. "Sweet Oum man," Cardin said, snapping Jaune's attention towards him. "I'm not a rat; it's not like anyone I would tell it to would believe me anyway." Jaune looked at his former tormentor who had his head tilted, yet still looked to Jaune, indicating that he knew that Cardin was right. With a sigh, Jaune held back up his hand for Cardin to see. Cardin raised an eyebrow as he saw that there was no indication of burning at all as if Jaune's hand was never on fire. Before Cardin could say anything more, Jaune let out a quick breath, and his hand combusted into flames once more. Cardin jumped in his spot slightly, and Jaune proceeded to chuckled at this.

"It's called a Vigor," Jaune said as he held his hand in front of him while the flames died down. Cardin looked in awe as he saw that once the fire was gone, Jaune's fingernails elongated and feathers began to form on the top side of his hand. "Something I picked up a month ago." Jaune's hand receded to normal, only for a green spirit to circle it now and even interlace with his transparent fingers. "The best way I can put it is that they give you specific quirks." The transparency was non-existent a few moments later, only for Cardin to see his hand begin to fracture and the two of them witnessed the skin practically splitting while his hand vibrated at a frequency that Cardin couldn't fathom at the moment. "Usually there's only one or two that people can carry without going batshit insane, but ain't aura a lifesaver?" Jaune questioned as his hand turned back to normal, he saw there was a concoction stirring within Cardin that included fear, awe, and utter wonder.

"How many do you have?" Cardin asked somewhat nervously.

Jaune folded his arms and looked up, recounting all the vigors he and Elizabeth collected. "Eight," Jaune told him in a slightly casual tone. Jaune chuckled at Cardin who's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, and Jaune shook his head. "A lot, I know. They helped me make it this far and come back."

"You said two turns a person insane? And you have eight?!" he somewhat exclaimed, and Jaune laughed but soon winced as he felt an aching sensation on his back and chest.

"Well you said it yourself, I'm fucking crazy sometimes." The two looked at each other for a few moments in silence. That silence was shattered by the Cardin and Jaune doing their best not to laugh too hard so the pain wouldn't be that bad.

"That you are Arc, that you are," Cardin said as he clutched his side.

"My turn," Jaune said as Cardin looked back at him with a hint of concern in his eyes. "Before I jumped you in the locker room, you mentioned that you were leaving, you ditching Beacon as well?" Jaune asked which caused Cardin to scoff.

"You're not the only one who thinks they weren't meant to be a huntsman." Jaune looked down in slight shame, and Cardin nodded. "Classes have been relentless. I have no team, no friends, hell my old man has cut off my funding, as well as any connections to him and the rest of my family." Jaune looked up slightly wide-eyed at this new revelation and noticed that Cardin's left hand balled up into a fist. "Beacon had to notify my family of what happened, and apparently the politician wasn't having any of it." Jaune looked down slightly at this news and felt his hand morph once more into the undertow vigor, though Cardin didn't notice. Barnacles and salt water began to form and drip off Jaune's hands while he looked on at Cardin, not knowing what to say or do, neither of them did.

"You could have him try to capture you," Jaune muttered, and Cardin slightly glared at Jaune but soon sighed.

"Can't say you're wrong there, Arc," Cardin replied, and soon, the two huntsmen in training reverted to the familiar silence.

"Don't quit," Jaune said out of nowhere, and Cardin once more looked back to Jaune's slumped form. "Not going to lie, things are shitty. Really shitty." Jaune winced at the knowing stare Cardin was giving him. "But know things can be worse, and there are reasons to stay." Cardin raised an eyebrow at this and Jaune rolled his eyes. "Dude I don't know if you know this, but it felt like I was hit by a tank ten minutes ago." Jaune massaged the back of his shoulder to emphasize his point, and this caused Cardin to let out a short laugh. Jaune smiled at this and folded his arms. "Keep that up, and Beacon won't be able to hold you down. You'll get the team that you deserve." A soft smile appeared on Cardin's somewhat beaten face, and he looked back to the people that were oblivious to the entirety of their dispute.

"I want to believe that, but I gotta ask something Jaune," Cardin said, receiving a slightly shocked reaction from Jaune as this was the first time he could remember that Cardin called him by his first name. "Who are you trying to convince here, you or me?" Jaune fell silent as Cardin said this and couldn't help but think about that. Jaune's smile faltered and morphed into a frown. Little did he know that his hand began to darken, along with his receding skin that showed only his metallic fingertips. No matter how he looked at Cardin's question, he couldn't help that the one in front of him was right.

*BOOM!*

Both Jaune and Cardin were thrust out of their crumpled forms as the ground beneath them violently shook, and the two of them began to hear a series of explosions that rocked the buildings. In confusion, Jaune stumbled and fell once more to the ground not sure what the hell was going on, and as he looked up, he couldn't help but gasp as he saw a literal train practically erupting from the ground, and onto the town square. Heaps of debris and scrap metal began flying in all directions as well, and Jaune dove to the side as a good chunk of sheet metal flew over his head. Working on pure instinct, Jaune darted over to Cardin who was still dazed from the sudden explosion and proceeded to hoist him over his shoulder. In those moments, Jaune could see an ungodly amount of shrapnel race towards the two. With only milliseconds to spare, Jaune held out his hand, and with a sudden huff, Jaune's hand dissolved to the bones which were now metallic and a magnetic shield projected itself in front of him and Cardin, though only for a few moments. Jaune's bones and muscles cried out in agony at the sudden weight they were exposed to, but Jaune simply gritted his teeth and sprinted to cover in the form of a nearby dumpster. More shrapnel and bits of stone and concrete flew passed them at blinding speeds, and Jaune shut his eyes tightly as the impact bombarded the dumpster they were hiding behind. Jaune made sure Cardin was clear of harm and noticed that he was starting to get his bearings together.

"CARDIN! WAKE THE FUCK UP!" Jaune hollered over the pandemonium and flinched as he felt the dumpster get hit by something large. Cardin let out a groan but soon got to his knees and shook his head.

"Uuugh," Cardin grumbled as he tried to get his head on straight. "The hell just happened?" Jaune grabbed Cardin as he was about to stand up and thrust him towards the pavement. Before Cardin could let out an angry protest, both saw a rebar fly over their heads and pierce the concrete wall behind them with devastating force. Cardin looked at the rusty pole for a few moments before he nodded with understanding and Jaune proceeded to nod back. The two students hid behind cover for a few more moments before the explosions eventually ceased to exist. Jaune peaked behind his cover to make sure that there was nothing else trying to kill him or Cardin and once he was clear, Jaune pulled out his hand canon, clearly not stepping out there unless he was armed. He moved from cover with his weapon at the ready and strafed a bit to the side and soon forward, towards the square. Jaune also noticed that Cardin's mace was a few feet away and the blonde cautiously crouched in an attempt to make his way towards it. Once the mace was in his hands, he turned back to see that Cardin was slowly catching up to him. Once Cardin caught up with him, Jaune handed him his mace and gestured for him to get lower to the ground and remain silent. The two huntsmen stalked passed the numerous amount of debris and were eventually greeted with the exit into the square that was still concealed in the smoke that the explosions brought.

"Jaune," Cardin hissed in a hushed tone, and Jaune looked back at him, clearly worried and anxious about what could be out there. "What the hell is happening?!" Cardin's volume rose slightly, and Jaune covered his mouth for him to shut up.

"You honestly think I have a fucking clue?!" Jaune hissed back. Before Cardin could say anything, Jaune undid the red sash that was around his neck and tore a piece of it off. "Here," Jaune said as he handed the cloth to Cardin. "It isn't much, but you'll be able to breathe a little better out there." As he said this, he raised his sash over his nose and cocked the hammer to his hand cannon. Jaune gestured for Cardin to follow him and the two proceeded to enter the haze that covered a good chunk of the district.

Absolute silence was the only thing to greet either of the students as they stepped over broken rocks and bits of destroyed concrete. Due to the smoke, and dust that clouded the air, neither of them could see well, and breathing was somewhat of a challenge. Jaune nor Cardin didn't let this affect them as they moved in sync with one another and made sure that each of them was okay when it came to breathing. Even with these efforts against what they were up against, the haze was still practically blinding them, and the sun was just starting to pierce through.

"Huh?" Cardin spoke aloud, and Jaune quickly turned to his partner at the moment to see that he had either touched or stepped on something unusual. Jaune lowered his gun to see that Cardin was doing his best to see through the dust to find out what he had just touched. Jaune decided to investigate as well and began to sift through the clouded area at their feet. As the two began their search, Jaune tapped Cardin on his shoulder, indicating that he found a spot where they could dig from. Cardin slowly moved over to Jaune's side, and the two began to sift through the dirt and the dust, only for Jaune to go rigid as he felt something. Cardin noticed this as well and looked to Jaune for answers, only for Jaune to slowly move his hand out from the dirt and reveal that his hand was coated in blood with a layer of dust over it. Cardin could tell by the frantic digging that it wasn't Jaune's blood but still didn't stop him from nearly gasping at this. The two began to dig deeper and realized what they had found. It was a woman's arm that had grasped Cardin's ankle, what they didn't realize was that her lower half was crushed by a massive slab of concrete. Jaune looked at the horror before him silent, but wide-eyed while Cardin shuffled back in sudden fear. Soft gasping could be heard from the woman whose face, blonde hair, and arm was caked in blood and soot, and Jaune was left numb for a few moments, not knowing what to do.

As if his primal instinct kicked in, Jaune proceeded to slap himself across the face, attempting to snap himself out of his shocked daze. Jaune proceeded to scan the debris, but making sure not to add any weight to what was already crushing the woman. He found a good spot where he could get a grip and mustered all the strength and aura he had to lift the concrete. After a few strangled cries and despite his aching muscles, Jaune was able to lift the rock over to the other side and let out a breath of relief.

"Alright. We can finally get you ou-" Jaune was cut off as he was now facing a whole new horror. That boulder didn't trap the woman; it had completely crushed her lower half into what looked like a red paste. Jaune's mouth hung open and began to quiver behind his sash as he could hear the choked sobs and soft whimpers that escaped the woman. He slowly looked over at Cardin to see that he was as far as he could be within sight and was beginning to hyperventilate. Jaune mentally kicked himself as he sprinted past the woman gasping for life and towards his teammate.

"Cardin. Cardin!" Jaune said as he began to slap him a few times. "Listen to me! You're going to pass out if you keep breathing like that in this shit! Goddammit, look at me!" Jaune shook him a few times, but to no avail.

"Her- her le- she has no le-" Cardin attempted to say but couldn't muster the willpower to admit the truth.

"I know," Jaune said in a hushed tone as he held Cardin's head in place. "I know. But right now, she and possibly more people need our help!" Jaune persisted in instructing Cardin to take slower breaths and after a few moments was successful in his attempts. Cardin took a deep breath, yet remained nervous as to what the two of them were getting themselves.

Jaune and Cardin slowly approached the woman who was still looking at them, petrified as if she was some wounded animal. Jaune crouched down to her side and in a hushed tone, began to brush her blonde hair to the side. Drops of blood smeared on Jaune's hands as he did this and he looked back to Cardin while shaking his head, indicating that she was most likely not going to make it. Jaune looked back to her and noticed tears were beginning to stream down her face. He didn't want to move her to cause even more pain and instead continued to comfort what was left of her.

"Can you speak?" Jaune whispered, and the woman nudged her head, indicating that she nodded to his question. "What's your name?" he got lower so that his ear was close to her mouth and the woman let out a few soft gasps.

"Ja-jasmine." She started before coughing up a wad of blood. Jaune continued to brush her hair out of her face, doing what he can to put her at ease. "Jasmine E-Esbell," she said and coughed once more, this time much more violently. Cardin looked away from this while Jaune had no choice but to watch this woman in front of him suffer. Before he could say anything more, he heard her give out one last breath and noticed that her head went limp. Jaune's eyes widened at this as his hands balled up into fists. A shaky breath escaped his lips and his hands relaxed before pulling out his scroll and opening a new journal log. He proceeded to enter the woman's name into it and soon after, pocketed the scroll.

"Can't just leave her like this," Jaune said as he closed the woman's eyes and kept looking at her, wondering what the ever-living hell he was supposed to do. Phone for help? Possibly, but considering something like this happened, he wouldn't be surprised it emergency lines were already swamped.

His eyes widened in realization as he looked back to his scroll and swiped through some of the applications, only to grin when he saw the one he needed. Every beacon student has the potential to be wounded or stranded on missions. As a precaution, every Beacon issued scroll houses an app that sends out a distress signal. All he had to do was activate it and stay put until the cavalry arrived.

"Cardin," Jaune called out as he looked up from his scroll and saw that Cardin was looking forward towards the smoky abyss and Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Cardin! We need to get out of here! I found the distress initiative. We can get out o-" Jaune was cut off as he looked out to where Cardin was looking and couldn't help but drop his scroll.

Bodies. Countless bodies decorated the street that they were staring down, and from what the two of them could see, chances of survival were scarce. Red stains of sprayed blood decorated the walls and bits of muscle, and parts and entrails of people painted the road, cars, and windows of the nearby shops, twisting the area of the square they were into a nightmare.

Jaune looked away in utter disgust while Cardin couldn't help but kneel forward onto all fours and hurled violently at what he saw. Coughing and choking sobs could be heard from Jaune's teammate, and before Cardin could continue, Jaune placed a hand on his shoulder, showing that they didn't have time to stay here. As they stayed there for a few moments, letting Cardin gather what remaining willpower he had left, the sun finally broke through the dust and decorated the square in an orange hue. Jaune took this moment to notice the overall destruction that overwhelmed them all. The fractured buildings and destroyed streets were all Jaune could see, and this caused the anger within him to boil furiously.

Despite the death and destruction, Jaune and Cardin both heard the cries of utter fear and confusion of survivors in the streets and along the square. From what Jaune could see is that the explosions funneled out towards him and Cardin, so the areas north of them were in better shape, though not unscathed. As the smoke began to clear, even more, Jaune could make out countless survivors either fleeing from the Grimm that were now scouring the streets, though in low numbers. One thing was apparent; fear was everywhere and within everyone. There was a heaviness on Jaune's shoulders that he only felt when Columbia was under siege from the Vox. No one knew what to do or where to go as if being left to wander and inevitably find themselves in an even more dire situation.

As Jaune and Cardin were finally in the clear. They began to notice the panic that was just now spreading. A chorus of screams and outbursts of fear echoed all around them along with the blaring of sirens that just seeped into their ears. Jaune looked at Cardin's bruised form for any input of direction but was only left with a fear riddled student that was simply following his lead. That fear within both of them began to grow as they carefully made their way across a few more bodies that were ripped apart by the explosions and shrapnel, leaving Jaune to shudder while Cardin tried his best from not losing his composure.

"GRIMM! SWEET OUM ALMIGHTY GRIMM!"

Jaune's head snapped towards the source of the voice that blared through the destruction and before Jaune or Cardin could even move, they could see slightly far out in front of them. Over a heap of rubble that was uplifted around outer layers of the train, a wolf Faunus was struggling to get out of a crevice between a train cart and a massive chunk of concrete that was broken off from the pavement. His eyes were nearly bulging from his head, and both Jaune and Cardin could see him scrambling to get free of the wedge he was in. An impulse shook through Jaune's very being as he witnessed the fruitless struggle the Faunus was giving and before Cardin could protest, Jaune took off in the man's direction. The fight with Cardin before the explosion, along with the strain that he felt when carrying his temporary teammate caused the aching in Jaune's legs to amplify with each step. The only response Jaune would return to the pain was a grunt of acknowledgment while increasing his speed. Jaune was only moments away from the man when a scream erupted from him while he was violently tugged back into the crevasse that he was trying to make his way out of.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Jaune shouted as he dove into the man's hand that was reaching out desperately for anyone. With a light breath of relief, Jaune felt the man's tight grip wrap around his wrist, and the blonde began to pull back, trying to pull the Faunus out of whatever had his lower half at the moment. A low growl echoed through the darkness that resided the man's legs, and Jaune's eyes widened as the man was once more pulled back further into them. "Shit!" Jaune grunted as he lost his footing and fell to his backside. There was no chance to get back up as he also felt himself being pulled in. Screaming from the man rang through Jaune's ears as the blonde gritted his teeth. Before whatever could pull the two of them fully back into the crevasse, Jaune was able to place his feet against a solid chunk of damaged concrete and the side of the destroyed train car. The blonde knight was now at a standstill with the grim that lurked in the darkness only a few feet from him. Heavy footsteps accompanied the screaming of the man, and Jaune looked behind him to see Cardin running up behind him. "Sweet Oum Cardin, HELP ME!" Jaune screamed with urgency fueling his voice. Cardin couldn't help but gasp at the situation, and Jaune's eyes widened as he saw Cardin practically freeze in place.

"CARDIN!" Jaune screamed over the trapped man's cries. "I need you to pull me back now! COME ON!" Jaune could feel his fingers begin to tremble and strain as the man's grip tightened to unfathomable feats. Cardin remained still as all he did was watch on as Jaune struggled with whatever was beyond the dark abyss. "GOD DAMMIT CARDIN!" Jaune screamed as he flooded his arms with his aura, feeling the man's arm slowly coming towards him. Jaune could see Cardin's eyes darting in all directions as his breathing became heavier. His body trembled in its place, and Jaune couldn't help but witness one of his classmates be flooded with unadulterated fear.

A sudden creaking filled the three pairs of ears, and Jaune looked down to his right foot where the dented and creased scrap metal of the train was. Jaune softly gasped as the weight of himself caused the metal to collapse forward, in turn having his grip slip away from the man who was clinging for his life. Jaune didn't even have a second as he saw the man being sucked into the darkness, with screaming to accompany the bubbling chorus of flesh being torn and limbs being ripped. Jaune shuffled back across the gravel and dirt, all while keeping his eyes locked in the darkness. Five seconds of carnage filled the air until being cut short with the deafening embrace of silence. The only noise that existed was the shaky breath emitting from the two huntsmen in training. A growl soon followed the silence along with a hand being thrown out of the darkness, limp and drenched in blood.

Jaune and Cardin both felt as if their bodies were paralyzed as the hand laid there before them. There was a stillness within them as the concept of what just happened was still trying to cure itself of reality. Jaune's hands tightened as he had no restraint on the fury that was skyrocketing through his being and neglecting how fast his hands were combusting. Before Cardin could snap to his senses, Jaune shot to his feet and took off towards the tight crevice.

"Jaune!" Cardin called out but discovered that his feet refused to move.

"MOTHER FUCKER!" Jaune roared as his hand began to burn even brighter and congested a molten ball of magma, though laced with cracks of blinding light. There was no chance for the Grimm to reveal itself as Jaune hurled the ball of congested magma and aura. Cardin didn't have the chance to brace as the debris all around the crevasse that included the entirety of a destroyed train, exploded outward. The rubble and train were engulfed in flames, and the agonizing howls of the Grimm entrapped within the destruction filled the air along with their ash. As the train car collapsed in on itself, even more, Cardin could see that Jaune was far from through as the blonde was now focusing all of his attention on him. Jaune didn't storm towards Cardin, nor did he sprint or charge with rage or fury. Instead, Jaune began to walk calmly, the only contrast being the glare that guaranteed death. Jaune was now facing to face with Cardin, only a foot apart and there were no blows or words exchanged between the two of them, only a single glare while the other couldn't help but look away. Both could see and feel the shame begin to break through Cardin's being along with the tears that leaked from the huntsman in training's eyes. Both knew that Faunus's death was preventable. Indecisiveness was the key to that man's demise, and both knew who was to take responsibility.

"Uhhh." Jaune and Cardin both snapped from their confrontation at the familiar sound that faintly infiltrated their ears. Jaune turned back to the fiery destruction he caused, and he let out a slight gasp at the sight of the town square was just a few dozen yards away, with Ruby and her entire team unconscious in the center of it all. There was no time to rest as Jaune once again took off towards the square and was quickly closing in on Ruby's position, not even regarding if Cardin was following or not.

"Ruby!" he exclaimed as he slid to the reaper's unconscious side. Her breathing was slow but steady, and Jaune could only see scratches and a few bruises that decorated whatever was visible. Ruby's eyes twitched with slight irritation as she began to wake up from her stupor. Jaune let out a relieved breath and got up to check if everyone else was alright. The rest of her team were all sprawled out across the center of the square and were stirring from their sleep. Jaune could see that Cardin was nowhere in sight as he looked back to the burning destruction that he caused.

"Jaune?" the blonde in question snapped back to Ruby who was staggering to get up. Jaune wasted no time as he helped her up to her feet.

"Thank God," Jaune exclaimed as he helped his friend up. Ruby was beginning to come to her senses as she looked around and began to hear the screams around them as well.

"Jaune? What's happening?" she asked while Jaune picked up Crescent Rose and made his way toward his friend, seeing that Yang, Blake, and Weiss were all getting up as well and all confused just the same.

"I could ask you the same thing," Jaune replied, and this earned an irritated look from Weiss. Yang and Blake only looked around to see where they were. "What were you guys doing? Weren't you all on your mission." This earned a chuckle from Yang as she was brushing herself off.

"Well, we thought you were out of commission, lightweight," Yang said with a tired smirk while Jaune couldn't help but return the gesture with one of his own.

"Well, being drugged does tend to do that," Jaune replied while he folded his arms.

"We don't have time for your retorts Arc!" Weiss exclaimed as she stomped over to him. Ruby was about to break them apart but was too late as Weiss was only a foot away from him. "Roman Torchwick is getting away as we speak! And you certainly haven't been helping in the slightest!" there was a slight inflection in Jaunes eyes as she said this. To Ruby and Blake, they could only see it as a petty reaction towards Weiss. Yang, on the other hand, knew this look all too well given her short temper, and she knew then and there that Jaune had just snapped.

*GRRRRR*

None of the students had any time to react to Weiss's cold words as they heard the all too familiar sound of Grimm emerging from all around them. Jaune's neutral demeanor shattered as he turned back with his hand cannon at the ready. The blonde knight's eyes widened as a plethora of red eyes and black fur appeared from the dark trench. Before anyone could even move, hordes of grim rampaged from the hole with bloodlust apparent in their very beings.

"Shit!" Jaune exclaimed as he had his gun at the ready and skyhook brandished for the Grimm to see. There were no more words between the students as all of them had their weapons ready. Without a warning or any visible signal, the Grimm charged in unison while letting out roars that shook the buildings all around them. Jaune took this opportunity to pick off a few creeps that were charging at him while Ruby and her team began to mow down the hordes of Beowolves all around them. As the first two fell from Jaune's hand cannon, Jaune rushed towards the straggler and slammed his hook into the skull of the Creep, using the hooks to dig past the hide and forcing the bone plating of its head off. Jaune turned back to his classmates to see that the battle was still in full swing, this was a big mistake on his part as a King Taijutu violently and noticed that one of its prey was distracted. Jaune was a second too late as the massive snake used its different head to slam Jaune across the square.

"AGGH!" Jaune exclaimed as he tumbled past Ruby and Blake, only to land flat on his stomach. With a strangled grunt, Jaune proceeded to get back up to his feet, and as his head angled upward, his heart clenched with fear as he saw the true magnitude of what the four of them were facing. The greenery and flora that decorated the gardens along the square were shrouded in darkness with countless red eyes and the King Taijitu at the front, facing the five of them with the only intent to kill.

BOOM!

A soft yet sudden explosion snapped Jaune from his fearful state, and he turned back to see something that he to some would be surprising, but to him, it was a godsend as Nora came crashing through the sky on her hammer, straight toward the King Taijitu

"WAAAAA YEAAAH!" Nora shouted with a little too much glee as the full force of Magnhild slammed square into the snake's face. The sudden shockwave caused the dirt to pick up just a bit, and Jaune shielded his eyes for a moment. However, he saw that Nora jumped back and slid across the pavement, only a few feet ahead of where Jaune was kneeling. Without a moment to call out to his friend, Jaune saw that Pyrrha and Ren arrived as well, both equipped and ready to fight.

"Let's move!" Pyrrha shouted as she pointed Milo towards her enemies and Jaune saw at the last second, before she and Ren dispersed, Jaune saw his partner give him one of the coldest glares she could fathom. There were no words left to say as she and Ren charged into the horde, though as Jaune tried to get up, he felt another pair of arms hoisting him to his feet. Jaune looked to his left to see that a woman that he believed he met before and was giving him a look of both relief and worry while keeping him balanced.

"I'll be fine," Jaune said as he took a step forward, but clutched his side and felt his aura begin to amplify throughout his body. Jaune noticed at this time that Nora hadn't charged off, instead of coming towards his way. The blonde put his hand out and shook his head. "There are survivors still around. You keep the Grimm busy." Jaune said as gestured his head up to emphasize that she was needed in the fight, knowing that they would need every powerhouse they could muster in this fight.

"What about you?" she asked as she shifted her weapon into a grenade launcher, being mindful if any Grimm got close to them.

"Like I said." Jaune exasperated as he felt his aura begin to heal his side. "There are survivors still around," Jaune said to his teammate who understood what he meant. "I sent the emergency beacon off on my scroll so Search-and-Rescue should be coming soon. Not that they weren't already coming, to begin with." Jaune winced as he clutched his bruised side while staggering a bit.

"I don't think you should be doing that on your own." Jaune didn't reply with an immediate response as he was taking a few breaths to take his mind off the pain that was aching through his entire body.

"He won't be." Jaune and Nora looked up at them to see that Elizabeth was behind Jaune with a hand on his shoulder. "It's not like I haven't been in trouble with him before." she gave him a knowing smirk, and in a moment of realization, he snapped his fingers.

"You're the woman from two nights ago." He said and noticed that confusion and a bit of surprise on her face. "From the bar, right?" he saw that she was about to say something more, but was cut off by Nora.

"You sure?" Nora asked Jaune, and the blonde in question looked at the woman that he barely remembered from two nights ago. There was confusion written across Jaune's face as the woman gave him a soft and befriending look, something that was foreign to the blonde knight but in a strange way, familiar. Slight details aside, Jaune let out a breath and stretched his shoulders.

"As long she's helpful, I don't care," Jaune said as he faced away from the two of them while stretching his arms. Jaune looked back to Nora who was concerned, but in the end, gave Jaune a toothy grin while saluting him, all while charging gleefully into the fight. Jaune chuckled softly at this and checked his hand cannon, seeing that he only had three shots left without means of extra ammo. A grumble escaped his lips as he readied his gun and placed it in his holster. Despite the noise engulfing him from all sides, there was a silence from behind him. He looked back to the woman that was clad in a tattered and dirtied white blouse and skirt combo, who almost looked as confused as he did. "You okay?" he asked as he made sure his vambrace was set and he noticed the confusion within the woman was escalating. Jaune didn't have time for this as he began to walk off without another word. There was no time for this. If anything on the outer parts of the square were any indication, there were survivors that needed help, and he knew too well that the huntsmen and huntresses weren't concerned with that fact.

Jaune and unknowing to him, Elizabeth were able to retreat to the outer part of the fighting where the explosions took their toll on the population. Jaune had already faced this before due to making his way through this path once before, while he guessed that the woman next to him came from the other direction where the destruction was less of a twisted graveyard due to the sudden gasp that escaped her mouth. Jaune turned back to see her appalled at what laid before them and all he could do was focus on what was needed, and that was finding anyone who survived this destruction.

"Do you think anyone-" Elizabeth was cut off by Jaune practically pouncing on her as the two dove to the ground with Jaune on top of her. She was about to protest to this sudden action until Jaune put a finger to his lips, indicating that she needed to be quiet. Though she complied, she couldn't help but feel confused as Jaune to why he would do this, nor did she expect him to pin her to the ground. That was until she heard the familiar growling that was more than apparent during their time at the square. Elizabeth saw that Jaune was slowly looking over the cover of concrete that they dove behind and she saw that his eyes narrowed in that familiar way when he would see something that needed to be dealt with. Elizabeth knew this look all too well during their travels in Columbia and decided to remain quiet on the matter. Despite the pack of Beowolves that were a few dozen meters in front of them, Jaune remained still and only kept his eyes locked on the pack. Elizabeth was about to speak up but noticed that they began to take off north of where they were, towards an alleyway on the far side of the square. Elizabeth had no time to question this as Jaune vaulted over his cover and took off in the same direction.

"Jaune!" Elizabeth called out, yet the blonde knight gave her no response as he continued to sprint towards the pack and Elizabeth saw that he slid to cover that was the corner of the building that led to the alleyway. Despite his aura amplifying the strength in his legs, Elizabeth was able to manage to keep up with him if only a few meters behind him. She proceeded to stay behind him as Jaune peeked over his cover and the blonde knight saw that the Beowolves were on their hind legs as they stalked the dark alleyway. If Port was right, then that meant only one thing for the beowolves, they had found their prey and were making themselves more intimidating so that they could get as much fear from their victims as possible.

"GET BACK!" Jaune heard a sudden shriek erupted from the alleyway. Jaune took no time as he bolted from his spot and tried to go around the corner, leading into the alley, but was stopped by Elizabeth. Jaune struggled slightly as he felt her hand on his shoulder and he looked back with fury apparent. She was about to say something until she felt the anger radiating from him and in that same moment let go of him. Jaune spared no more time as he sprinted down the alleyway. He still had the upper hand as the Grimm hadn't noticed him yet due to their hunched positions. Jaune took a breath and readied his hand cannon, firing two shots at two of the Beowolves' heads. The gunfire boomed through the alley, and Jaune could see that the last Grimm standing darted its head towards his direction.

"RAAAAAGH!" Jaune roared as he fueled his aura in his legs and pounced onto the Beowolf while smashing his sky hook into its face. The Beowolf let out a roar of sudden pain but had no time to react further as Jaune jammed the hooks into the beast's neck and pulled the levers on the vambrace, causing the hooks to spin and rip across the Beowolf's neck. Whirring of the gears and the sound of flesh tearing was all that could be heard along with the sharp growls that escaped both Jaune and the Beowolf. Once the Grimm remained still, Jaune sat up from his kneeled position to let out a few breaths.

"A-are you okay?" Jaune turned back to see the woman that had been tailing behind him was the one to say this, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes at the utter horror that was written on her face. Her words were sincere, but there was almost an excessive amount of terror radiating from her. Jaune let out a sigh at this and stood up from the dissipating corpse and retracted his skyhook.

"Yeah." his response was short and sharp as he glared at her. If it were any other time, he would be more lenient in the woman's fear, but when she was needed to help to find survivors? All that she would be doing if she kept this up would be slowing him down. Jaune didn't waste another moment as he looked back to the source of screaming and couldn't help but gasp as he saw a group of survivors backed up against a wall. There were two families, and from what Jaune could see, the only means of defending themselves were sticks and shovels that the fathers and one of the mothers had. There were three children, one human, and two wolf Faunus. As Jaune looked out to the seven survivors, he didn't want to imagine what would have happened if he was too late.

"Are you all okay?" Jaune asked softly as he took a step closer to them, but put his hands up in a defensive manner to show that he wasn't there to hurt them. One of the fathers who was also a wolf Faunus sighed and eased his shovel.

"Barely. But we're all in one piece." the man said, and Jaune let out a breath of relief. He saw that they were shaken, especially the children, but not unable to move. Jaune put his hands on his hips and nodded.

"That's good," Jaune replied, and the wolf Faunus walked up to him with his hand out.

"William Blanche." The Faunus said. "Meryl is my wife," he said as he pointed to the brunette human that had her two children clinging to her. "And the two boys are Joseph and Nick." Jaune smiled at the man and returned the gesture.

"Jaune Arc." as he said this, William's eyes grew wide, but soon relaxed as he let out a short chuckle.

"Never thought an Arc would be doing some good." Jaune's eyes narrowed as he said this and William let out another laugh. "Thank you, honestly." Jaune's eyes relaxed as well, and he nodded his head slightly.

"Is this it?" Jaune gestured to William's family and the other family that he had yet to know of and William nodded.

"Those are our neighbors, James and Abigale," William said as he pointed to the human couple that was trying to console and comfort their crying daughter. "The kid is Rose. One of those things clipped her a bit, but nothing serious." as Jaune said this he mentally cursed at the situation. There were seven survivors, eight including the woman that came with him, and just him.

Jaune reached for his scroll and was about to open up his contacts, but was interrupted by a notification that nearly made him jump. He saw that it was from Beacon academy and his eyebrows rose as he read what it had to say.

'To all citizens of Vale, this notification is to inform everyone that outpost for civilians has been established. If you are able, head to one of these four points immediately. Medical stations are available for any injured, and huntsmen and huntresses have been deployed to deal with the threat.'

Jaune smirked as he saw that one of the outposts was close to where they were but soon cursed himself as he saw that the fastest way was across the square. Despite what William said, the girl's wound looked like it was getting worse by the minute as her parents were trying to stop the blood leaking from her arm. Whether he liked it or not, they had to be urgent.

"Alright everyone!" Jaune barked, which silenced the worry and anxiety amongst the survivors. "We just got word that safe zones are now in effect." this seemed to ease the parents, but their fear returned when his gaze hardened. "The closest one, however, is across the square." Jaune could see the panic within them begin to rise and he put his hands up in an attempt to calm them down. "I don't like it either, but it's the only way any of us are going to get out of this. There are huntsmen and huntresses out there fighting right now, so if any Grimm target us, there will be help." Jaune put his hands down and let out a slight huff to muster his courage up. "Once things get dangerous, I'll escort you all one by one across. Is that understood?" while he ended his instructions with a statement, the survivors all saw that there was no room for compromise. While that scared them a bit, they understood that despite his current image with Vale at the moment, his top priority was their safety. Without a word of protest, the two families mustered up what they could and began to follow Jaune out of the alley.

"Get behind the group," Jaune muttered to Elizabeth as he made sure that his sky hook was still operational, not even bothering to look at her, if he did, he would have seen the worry and overall longing that she had in her eyes. While she wanted, no needed to ask him if he remembered her in the slightest, she knew that now wasn't the time, especially when these people needed his help. She had never seen him lead a group before nor show much charity to civilians in need. Columbia was a place where he had never been before, so perhaps refusing to help no one stemmed from the fact that Vale was his home.

The sounds of gunfire and roars of grim grew louder with each step they took towards the square, and Jaune couldn't help but empathize with William as he saw that the father was at the brink of puking. As the group traveled through the destroyed areas of the district and witnessing the grotesque bodies that littered the streets, Jaune looked back and saw the other father, the mothers, and the woman he met two nights ago keeping tabs on the kids, making sure they didn't see anything they shouldn't see.

If Jaune could be honest with himself, he would claim that he had no idea why he was doing this. Huntsmen and huntresses were practically designed to take down Grimm and survive while doing it. While Ozpin enforced the concept of teams onto the students, Jaune couldn't help but see the concept of the huntsmen based on the individual. So why, despite being trained to think and act this way, along with fighting in a flying city on his own for survival, were the civilians his first concern that came to mind? Was it because that he and Cardin were first responders to the attack? Was it the plethora of corpses that laid before him? Was this just second nature to him?

A sudden roar shook him from his thoughts as he looked to see that they were at the outer border of the square. Jaune could see his team and RWBY along with some of the professors and other student teams as well. His eyes widened with elation and relief as he saw Oobleck along with Port taking down a few of the oncoming Grimm that was heading from the west and in response to this, Jaune held up his hand to stop the group and ordered them to get low. Jaune crouched and made his way to Elizabeth, all while smiling with a sense of good fortune.

"I need you to make sure that they're safe," Jaune said as he readied his skyhook. "I'm getting help." He said to William who was fearful at first. Without another word, Jaune vaulted over his cover, and despite the pandemonium that erupted all around him, he used his aura to flood his legs and sprinted over to the professors that had just finished their onslaught of Grimm.

"Doctor Oobleck!" Jaune shouted as he made his way to both professors. A fearful surprise was the first thing Jaune could see on both Port and Oobleck, though didn't care for it due to the dire situation at hand.

"Mr. Arc?!" Oobleck nearly shouted over the chaos with shock as he collapsed his weapon. "Last I heard, you were still hospitalized. What are you doing here?" he asked and Jaune mentally groaned, knowing that they didn't have the time for this.

"Oobleck, as much as I want to sit here and talk, there are survivors I found that need to get to the safe zone!" Jaune shouted over an explosion and flinched as he saw shrapnel of grim bones fly in all directions. He looked back down at the square and noticed it was one of the members of team CFVY that were the cause of it, and he looked back at the two professors. "I could use your help!" There was no response as Port readied his blunderaxe and gestured for Jaune to lead the way. Oobleck nodded as well, and Jaune smiled as he turned on his heel and ran back towards the group.

"I'm back!" Jaune shouted as he ran up the slope and over the cover that concealed the families and the woman that he was with and he couldn't notice but see the relief when she looked at him. "I brought help as well." as he said that, Oobleck and Port both hopped over the cover and noticed the two families who were looking at them with joy and hope. Both were in silence as they looked on at the bruised and beaten group.

"Where did you find them, my boy?" Port asked with worry, and Jaune's eyes lowered.

"The far side over there." Jaune pointed, and both professors shuddered as they saw the amount of damage that laid in that area.

"Is there anyone injured?" Oobleck asked the group, and Jaune nodded, gaining the doctor's attention.

"One girl. Scratched arm but is bleeding heavily." Jaune assessed and Oobleck nodded while his thermos telescoped into his weapon.

"Very well," Oobleck said as he looked to Port. "Port and I will escort the families one at a time and the group that goes second will be watched over by you until we come back." Jaune smiled and nodded at this and Oobleck couldn't help but smirk as well. "We'll take the family with the injured child first." There was a sigh of relief from the father, and Jaune could see that the girl wasn't holding up too well. He was too late to say anything on the matter as Port and Oobleck took point and began to escort the family across the square. Jaune peered over the cover to see that the fight was still raging on between the people and Grimm. Thankfully, the Grimm were beginning to thin out, but that didn't mean the danger was non-existent.

"How is it out there?" Jaune looked back to see the woman that tagged along with him, and he could feel the stress within him rise. If they were in any other scenario, he wouldn't mind her presence, but not only was she a hinderance to him at the moment, for some reason, there was a feeling within him that made sure she was protected and safe from the Grimm.

"Bad," Jaune said quickly and patted himself for any spare rounds that he may have taken with him unintentionally. He cursed when his efforts bore no fruit. "All we can do is wait for Oobleck and Port to get back." he looked to William and his family who were all huddled with each other, doing what they can to calm themselves down. Jaune could see the futility in their efforts as one of their children looked as if he was hyperventilating.

*GRRRR*

Jaune heard a scream that followed after that menacing growl, and the blonde looked at his cover to see an Alpha Beowolf starring him down, only a few feet away from his face.

"SHIT!" Jaune said as the Beowolf reeled its claws back to strike. Jaunes instincts screamed for him to jump out of the way, but the risk of whoever that woman was and the family getting hurt weighed on his mind and while gritting his teeth, Jaune put his arms up in a defensive stance and braced himself for the oncoming attack. There was no feeling of being cut or slashed at. Instead, Jaune felt the raw strength of the Beowolf swatting him to the side. Jaune could feel his aura tremble at the sudden jolt of strength that caused him to fly a few feet and tumble down the slope leading to the square. Jaune squeezed his eyes shut as he tumbled down the concrete and only opened them when he heard a scream. It was a familiar scream, something that he thought was only coincidence. Even so, he could feel his heart throb and saw that the Beowolf was closing in on the group. Jaune could feel that he had hardly any aura left but began to pick up speed as this feeling he couldn't describe to grow within him. The last time he felt this was when he stormed Comstock's compound back in Columbia to save Elizabeth, that drive amplified the power in his legs as he darted closer and closer to the Alpha Beowolf. Despite his efforts, he saw that the beast was too close to them and Jaune could hear the family screams of panic and terror as they were now branded into his brain.

In a split second, Jaune saw a white flash rip through the air and across the Beowolf's neck. There was a silence as this occurred and before anyone could ask what had just happened, the Grimm's head slowly toppled off its body and ashes began to dissipate off the beast. Jaune stood there dumbfounded at the raw speed and strength of the attack that he had just witnessed.

"Is everyone alright?" Dread flowed through Jaune as he heard that familiar voice and couldn't help but glare at the figure that appeared from behind the now dissipating Beowolf. There stood Alexander Arc, standing proudly in his white and gold armor. His face was shielded by a helmet with golden wings on each side, and his cape with a white fur collar flowed almost naturally, and Jaune couldn't help but feel a sense of anger as he saw the weapon his father was using. Crocea Mors, but with a modified look and a different shield.

"Y-yes." William stuttered, and Jaune's father reached his hand out to the man who graciously accepted his gesture.

"Then get up. I will take you to the nearest safe area." Alexander replied and looked towards Jaune. The blonde student didn't need to see his father's face; he knew that the huntsman in front of him was giving him an indignant smirk. "It appears that the help you had wasn't suitable for the situation." Jaune gritted his teeth but soon winced and collapsed to one knee as he felt a sharp pain in his side. Jaune surmised that with the commotion and adrenaline flowing through him, he didn't realize that the Alpha broke a few of his ribs. Jaune looked to see that the family began to move the way Alexander pointed to and yet, his father remained still.

"Good to see you too Dad." Jaune coughed a bit as he tried to keep his breathing level.

"You're supposed to be in the hospital," Alexander growled, and Jaune smirked at this.

"So are your agents that I ran into the other night. Unlike them, I have a lot of aura." Jaune looked up and could tell that his father was troubled by the news that Jaune told him.

"We'll discuss that later. Right now-!" Alexander was cut off by Jaune groaning slightly, and Alexander could see Jaune stand up, bruised, bloody, and scraped all over as he glared at the Huntsman.

"Just go you piece of shit. Protect your image." Jaune growled as he placed a hand on his side. Without a word, the knight placed a hand on his sword and turned around, following the survivors that he was now escorting.

As soon as Alexander left, Jaune once more collapsed to a knee and winced a bit in frustration. The fight with Cardin along with the attack hadn't helped his aura, and Jaune could feel his aura being drained as it did what it could to protect his ribcage. Jaune could feel the fighting still rage on as he did his breath to breath and in those moments, he didn't know what to do. Should he just follow his father? No, that would make him visible to the authorities who operated the security of each area. Staying and fighting wasn't an option either. Perhaps the most viable option was the coward's way out and hide until the battle was over.

"Jaune!" The blonde looked up to see that the woman who had been following him the whole time had rushed to his side.

"What the hell are you doing here? Get with the others!" Jaune growled and pointed towards the direction his father went.

"And leave you behind? No chance in hell." the woman replied with a bit of sass and Jaune couldn't help but growl as he was picked up to his feet.

"Let me go!" Jaune said as he shoved the woman to the side and took a few steps forward. They were a few dozen meters away from the hole that was still a breech for Grimm to enter through. In those moments, Jaune felt tears stream down his face as he watched his classmates and other huntsmen fight for their lives. This was it. This was what he was afraid of. Here he was, in no shape to fight, while everyone else looked a little winded and nothing more. Doubt and helplessness seeped into him, and he nearly collapsed for a third time if it wasn't for that woman.

"We need to go Jaune!" the woman said, and the blonde glared at her.

"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SO FIXATED ON ME HUH?!" Jaune shouted at her as he could feel the tears stream down. The woman was shocked, to say the least when he faced her, and his hands balled up into fists. "I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR HELP! I HARDLY KNOW YOU! SO WHY ARE YOU HERE?! HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW MY NAME?! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Jaune screamed and let out another breath as he stared into the woman's eyes. There was hurt, frustration, stress, but mostly fear as she did nothing but look at Jaune.

"Jaune…" she said softly, and she could see the blonde knight's eyes widen in fear. "It's me. El-!"

"LOOK OUT!" Jaune shouted as he rushed towards Elizabeth and shoved her to the side. She shouted and felt herself be thrown a few feet by the sheer strength of Jaune, and as she turned back to scream at him, her eyes widened with horror as she saw Jaune in the mouth of an Ursa Major.

"AAAAGGGGHH!" Jaune screamed as he felt himself being jerked around by the Ursa and also the sharp pain of two of its teeth bearing into his leg. Elizabeth didn't even have it in her to scream as she saw this ungodly sight but noticed that in a fit of anger, Jaune brandished his sky hook and with a yell, the blonde knight jammed it into the Ursa's neck. The beast let out a roar as this happened and to respond to Jaune's attack. The Ursa flung its neck toward the hole in the middle of the square and let go of Jaune, causing the blonde to be flung in that direction.

"JAUNE!" Elizabeth screamed as she saw Jaune slam into the rim of the hole, causing his aura to shatter and a few chunks of rubble to become unstable. Once gravity took its toll, she couldn't do anything as she saw Jaune's unconscious form fall into the hole with the rubble the following suit. She didn't have the chance to run towards him as she felt the presence of the Ursa behind her with a menacing persona. There had been a few times where Elizabeth had felt true fear. The first was when she and Jaune fell off the top of her tower when they first met. The second was during the endless torture when Comstock had her captive. This was the final moment that she had felt so far, being face to face with an ungodly beast with no means to defend herself.

"NO!" Elizabeth heard a shriek as she turned to her left to see a flurry of rose petals stream towards the Ursa and just like before with the Alpha Beowolf, the Ursa collapsed with one strike. "Elizabeth! What are you doing here?!" Elizabeth looked up from her shocked state to see Ruby Rose with her scythe out to her side. The fear was still pulsating through Elizabeth as she tried to explain herself, but before she could say a word, she felt Ruby help her to her feet. "We got to get you out of here." she assessed, and she could feel that Ruby had hoisted her up to carry.

"W-WAIT!" Elizabeth shrieked as Ruby collapsed her weapon and used her semblance to rush Elizabeth to the nearest safe zone. Within the blur of unadulterated speed, Elizabeth tried to protest; to take her back or at least save Jaune. But her efforts failed as she felt herself and Ruby halt at a standstill.

"She was found near the fight. Can you guys take it from here?" Elizabeth heard Ruby say and it wasn't until a few seconds later that Elizabeth realized they were at one of the three safe zones and she and Ruby were in front of two soldiers guarding the perimeter.

"We'll handle it." One of the soldiers said as he escorted Elizabeth behind the perimeter line. Elizabeth protested slightly, and before she could look back to Ruby, the rose was gone in a flurry of petals.

#

The fight continued for another half hour after Ruby had taken Elizabeth to safety and in that half hour, the Atlas army had arrived to clean up any of the stragglers that were still rummaging through the city. During the fight, countless civilians were discovered amongst the building and were transported away from the fights and into the safe zones that were operated by the Vale first responders. Along with the civilians, the huntsmen were able to cease the flow of Grim emerging into the city due to Goodwitch's efforts in sealing the hole where the monsters were coming from. Even Roman Torchwick who was behind the attack was captured and in Atlas custody.

This lead to the students and teachers of beacon sitting amongst the rubble and wreckage, recovering from the sudden attack and being treated for any injuries that they may have been dealt during the fight.

"That was something." Ruby sighed as she sat cross-legged on a cot that was stationed near the epicenter of the breach. She along with her team and NPR were all sitting on their respective cots, bandaged, but not broken as their tired smiles testified to their condition.

"But we made it," Yang said, reassuring her sister and the others that they were in the clear. The Grimm in the city were wiped out, and both the Vale and Atlas military were cleaning up the wreckage. "Even got to fight alongside some huntsmen and huntresses," she added on which pleased the lot of them.

"It was almost frightening to see Alexander Arc in action." Blake chimed in as they remembered Jaune's father fighting through the hordes of Grimm while escorting a family to safety. Each slice was precise and powerful enough to level the nearby buildings.

"Speaking of which, where is Jaune?" Nora asked with some concern, and the others looked at one another for an answer. Worry began to seep into NPR, and Weiss rolled her eyes.

"He probably -" the Heiress was cut off by the sudden commotion of a cot being thrown to its side, and they all saw Nora standing still, suddenly furious beyond belief.

"If you insult him again, I will hurt you," Nora growled in a low voice as she was glaring at the heiress. The air grew tense as silence soon followed.

"I wasn't. I was simply suggesting that he is -" Weiss was again cut off.

"WHERE IS IT?!"

Both teams perked up at the familiar voice, and without another word, they all filed out of the tent to see what was going on.

"Ma'am, if you're not a huntsmen or huntress, you need to head back to the safe zone." A soldier told the source of the voice who was now identified to be Elizabeth. Confusion was the foundation of each of the student's emotions as they saw Elizabeth almost panicked while darting her head in every direction.

"WHERE IS THE HOLE?!" she screamed back. There was a frantic tone of her voice laced with anxiety as she began to resist the soldier that tried to restrain her. "IT WAS HERE! I SWEAR IT WAS!" With a hint of fear, Ruby took a step forward and was about to stop the soldier.

"What's going on here?" Everyone turned to the source of the new voice that was Glynda Goodwitch. With her were Oobleck and Port at her side with looks of concern.

The soldier faced the senior. "We got word that a survivor made her way out of the safe zone and headed back here. Next thing I know, she's going into hysterics."

Goodwitch nodded at this and walked towards Elizabeth who still looked fearful beyond belief. "Let her go," Goodwitch demanded with authority, and the soldier complied without objection. "To answer your question, the hole has been sealed shut so that the Grimm can't return," Goodwitch answered by pointing at the area that she had used her semblance on and in those moments, Elizabeth's eyes widened even further.

"Open it," Elizabeth muttered, and the others were a bit baffled at the request, and Goodwitch raised an eyebrow unamused.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked and Elizabeth turned back to Goodwitch.

"YOU NEED TO OPEN IT!" she screamed. Tears were streaming down her face, and her breathing began to increase rapidly. "HE'S STILL DOWN THERE!" This caused everyone to go still as she said this and Oobleck took a few steps forward.

"Ma'am, who is down there?" he asked softly. He was at her eye level, and his face was just as serious as hers.

With a few hitched breaths, Elizabeth closed her eyes. "He pushed me out of the way, and an Ursa flung him into the hole." Elizabeth looked at Ruby. "That's what I was trying to tell you when you took me to the safe zone." To emphasize her point, Elizabeth pointed to the area where she last saw Jaune. "Jaune is still down there." With that sentence, the teachers and the students all felt the same fear that Elizabeth was feeling. The fear and realization that Jaune was trapped down in the tunnels with a horde of Grimm.

 **THE PLOT THICKENS! Part two out of three is done! 47 single space pager as well. I hope you all enjoyed this, Shout out to Firestorm808 for helping me out once more. I hope the scene with Jaune and Elizabeth was good as well. This was my first time writing that sort of scene and I was once told the two most challenging genres to write were sex and comedy. That statement holds true but I did my damndest to not oversaturate it. Shout out to Blaiseingfire for helping me out with that segment as well. Anyways the next chapter should be up soon, though considering my semester just started, there will be some time to get situated in school. But enough of that. your support and enthusiasm for this story triumphs over that doubt I have and I hope you all enjoy what comes next. Drop a comment, Review, or PM if you wish and as always, BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 and FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!**


	12. Chapter 10 part 3

**So here it is everyone. The final chapter of the first Arc. I won't say much here and give anything away so let me just say that I don't own RWBY or Bioshock Infinite, they belong to their respective owners, ENJOY!**

Chapter 10 Part 3

The Baptism

 _Vale Safe Zone: half hour before the closing of the breach:_

 _"Ma'am, you need to move back." one of the guards at the entrance said as he put his hand out to create space between himself and Elizabeth, who was beyond frustrated at this point._

 _"You're not listening!" Elizabeth's outburst had caused the attention of nearby refugees that had all made it to safety. "My friend is hurt, and he needs help NOW! He's back at the square!" her throat felt dry and strained as her hands balled up into fists._

 _"Ma'am," the soldier said, a little tired of Elizabeth at this point. "We are doing everything we can to make sure the situation is contained. Once we know that the Grimm are dealt with, we will do everything we can to help him. In the meantime, you have to stay back and wait." the soldier's voice was riddled with stress as he told Elizabeth the truth of the situation. "I'm sorry, but it's all that we can do right now." his voice grew a little softer._

 _With a rising yell of frustration, Elizabeth turned around and stormed off, further into the compound they were in. It was a walled-off parking lot with a dust shop in the far back. The shop was being used as a medical bay for all the injured at the moment, so the rest of the civilians were practically herded into the middle of the relatively large parking lot._

 _Elizabeth couldn't believe this. She couldn't believe how much Jaune had changed since she was gone. She couldn't believe the state he was in both physically and mentally. She couldn't believe that he didn't recognize who she was. She couldn't believe that despite not knowing her and overall frustrated with her presence, still threw himself into harm's way for her safety, and most of all, she couldn't believe that no one came to help him. He was thrown across the square and fell into the hole for God's sake! How could no one see that?!_

 _Sitting still and waiting wouldn't do for her. She needed to get back to him and make sure that he would get out of this alive. Perhaps kiss him for saving her or strangle him for doing something so terrifying. Elizabeth wandered around the parking lot, searching for any means of getting out of the safe zone. The glaring issue was that it was practically a military outpost due to the amount of Vale and Atlas troops that covered the complex. There was no way she could slip past through the side or the front. The back was patrolled by officers as well and blocked off by sentries that kept watch for airborne threats._

 _"Goddammit," Elizabeth muttered to herself as she walked past the dust shop. She looked through the massive glass window to see civilians bandaged up or bedridden with countless injuries. Some were sobbing in anguish while others were thankful that their families were reunited. Elizabeth's hardened gaze diminished as she looked at all of them and couldn't help but wish Jaune was there, safe from the craziness of this world. The fact that he was somewhere underground, beaten to hell with no aura was driving her insane, and it only infuriated her more when she realized that she couldn't do anything about it._

 _"Sir, I'm sorry, but we need this space for a few of the injured," Elizabeth heard a soldier say as she passed the open door of the dust shop, and she looked to the source of the voice to see that the guard was talking to someone who she couldn't see._

 _"Sorry," the person said in a soft voice. Elizabeth's eyes widened as she saw the familiar student who stood up while carrying his dented mace. Cardin Winchester only followed up his response with a shaky nod as he somewhat stumbled out of the store. Elizabeth said nothing as she saw Cardin pass her as if he was in a daze. His hands were shaking ever so slightly, and he looked as if he hadn't blinked in days. Sweat trickled down his neck and Elizabeth could see that his breathing was somewhat hitched. As she witnessed this, Cardin made his way to the perimeter of the safe zone, and once his back was to the wall, he slid down and pulled his legs in close while burying his head in his arms._

 _"What happened to him?" Elizabeth asked herself as she headed his way. She saw that his mace was laying on its side next to him and that his armor was dented with a layer of dust._

 _"Cardin," Elizabeth said as she was only a few feet away from him. The Huntsman in training looked up with fear in his eyes and what Elizabeth assumed was shame as he looked away from her._

 _"Please go away," Cardin muttered as he placed his forehead on his arms and resumed to look down at the asphalt beneath him. Elizabeth grew a little confused and wondered what caused him to be the way he was in front of her. She kneeled down in front of him and looked on at his shaking form, and her eyes softened._

 _"Cardin, what happened?" she asked with a soothing element in her voice. The seconds gradually slugged by as he slowly shook his head, causing some dust and soot to fall from his head._

 _"I messed up. I messed up. I messed up." Cardin whispered to himself as Elizabeth could feel that he was trying to make himself sink into the ground._

 _"What did you mess up?" Elizabeth asked as she remained still, waiting for Cardin to say anything. It was then Cardin once more rose his head. This time tears were streaming down his face._

 _"All I had to do was help him," Cardin was shaking more intensely as his voice hitched. "His hand was out there for me to grab." Elizabeth was starting to understand why Cardin was acting the way he was, stuttering at the beginning of each sentence. "I should have just listened to Jaune." he let out with an exhausted sigh, and Elizabeth's eyes widened._

 _"Jaune was with you?" she asked, and Cardin slowly nodded his head while he swallowed a bit and soon let out a breath._

 _"Once the explosions stopped… we saw it all. The woman under the slab, the people on the street, we saw everything." Elizabeth didn't show it, but the horror of his situation began to eat at her as she recalled what it looked like when she and Jaune wandered through the streets of corpses in Columbia. She shuddered as she realized how traumatizing that could be for someone who hadn't seen anything of that magnitude before._

 _"WHAT THE FUCK!" Elizabeth was taken aback by Cardin's sudden outburst as he slammed his fist into the ground. She could feel the ground quake ever so slightly, and she could also see that Cardin's aura had flickered. "The fuck is wrong with me?" Cardin's voice cracked as his fist relaxed. Blood began to pool around his hand, and he brought both his hands to cover his face. "I couldn't even save one person. Not a single fucking person." He said between chocked breaths, and he began to sob quietly. Elizabeth looked down as he did this and couldn't help but feel akin to what Cardin was going through at the moment. That same feeling of being useless; that feeling of overwhelming despair that did its damnedest to drown her, the only difference between her and Cardin at the moment was that she had Jaune. She let that feeling sink into her being as she looked at her hands, along with her pinky and she could feel that fury return. She knew using her tears was a bad idea considering that it would be too conspicuous even for Remnant's standards. Even so, she couldn't sit here and wait for Jaune._

 _"He needs help." Elizabeth almost whispered, and this caused Cardin to grow silent at her statement gradually, but still refusing to look at her. "Jaune saved me from an Ursa, and now he's trapped in the hole where those things are coming out from. No one is listening when I say he needs to be saved." She finished as her hands balled up into fists once more._

 _"Cardin, I know it was frightening out there, but right now Jaune needs us. Please," Elizabeth got up to her feet while Cardin remained seated on the ground. There was a silence that continued to grow between the two and right before she turned away from him, he slowly rose his head._

 _"He saved you from an Ursa as well?" Elizabeth looked at the student with slight confusion as Cardin set his hands at his side, his blue eyes stared down at the heat-inducing asphalt. Elizabeth decided to take one more step towards him, and she nodded her head. Cardin began to wipe the tears from his face and in doing so, smirked at this and shook his head slightly. "What's with that idiot? Always finding a way to be the damn hero?" he chuckled as he said this and Elizabeth smirked at his question._

 _"Well, instead of protecting me with his shield as he did with you," Elizabeth started, yet received a quirked eyebrow and confusion on Cardin's part. "He's told me that story with you and the Ursa before." she could see the confusion only grow within him and decided to cut to the chase. "This time, he used his whole body. The thing threw him into the pit where the Grimm are coming from, and he's trapped." this time, she knew Cardin understood as he closed his eyes while slowly nodding his head._

 _"We need to get him out of there." Elizabeth finished while Cardin sat there. Elizabeth could see the gears cranking in his head, and after tightening his hands up into fists while letting out a breath of frustration, the hulking student got up to his feet and narrowed his eyes at Elizabeth, though still retained his smirk across his lips._

 _"He owes me." was all Cardin said as he grabbed his mace and hoisted it onto his shoulder while he walked past Elizabeth. Curiosity overtook her being as she saw the huntsman in training head over to the entrance of the safe zone, confusing the guards in the process. Elizabeth saw Cardin look back at her and noticed that he nudged his head towards the spot that he was previously sitting at. Elizabeth focused on said spot, and her eyebrows rose exponentially as she saw that the small crater that Cardin's fist made created a slight divot in the asphalt that had enough room for her to crawl under the chain linked fence. She turned back to Cardin who had his attention back on the guards at the front._

 _"Sir, I'm going to have to ask y-!" the guard was cut off as Cardin paid no attention to him and strode through the entrance._

 _"Sir!" the soldier shouted with a mixture of shock and authority. He reached out and grasped Cardin's shoulder, only for the student to break off the contact with a violent shrug while he continued to walk further away. The soldier and his partner advanced on Cardin with their weapons at the ready._

 _"TURN AROUND NOW!" one of them shouted, and Cardin obeyed. Even at a distance, Elizabeth could see Cardin's face, and he looked somewhat drained, but mostly fed up with the two guards in front of him. She noticed that he was looking right at her with a quick glance at the divot, she understood what he meant. With a nod, she used this opportunity to get down to her stomach and began to crawl under the fence. She winced as she felt the rusty points at the bottom scrape across her back, but pushed on nonetheless._

 _"HEY, YOU! HALT!" Elizabeth froze slightly as she looked back and saw through the chain linked fence that one of the guards confronting Cardin had spotted her. Her eyes widened as she saw the soldier ready his rifle at her, but couldn't help but wince as she saw him unaware of the fact that he had turned his back to an armed huntsman._

 _"AGGHH!" Elizabeth could feel Cardin's mace slam into the guard's side, and she swore she heard a few ribs crack even from where she was. There was no time to be careful as she gritted her teeth and pulled herself under the fence._

 _Brushing herself off from the gravel was not an option as she started to hear voices come her way. With a breath of reassurance, she began to run around the compound and in the direction where the hole was. Once she turned the corner of the fence, she could see Cardin holding off one of the guards with his mace, and as the two locked eyes, she could see Cardin nod which followed by him giving the guard a feint with the hilt of his mace, followed by a right hook. Once the guard was on the ground, Cardin turned towards Elizabeth and quickly caught up to her side despite his heavy armor._

 _"Thanks." Elizabeth quickly said between breaths as the two picked up their pace towards the town square. Cardin said nothing in response and Elizabeth chalked it up to him trying to conserve his breathing for running. Dread and worry began to rise within Elizabeth as she noticed that as they got closer to the square, there was no rise in battle or sounds of Grimm. Instead, it was too quiet compared to what she had previously heard and began to pray that Jaune was alright internally._

 _"I do not like this," Cardin said, snapping Elizabeth out of her thousand-mile stare. She noticed he was breathing heavily and sweat began to trickle down his neck. "I would think a Beowolf would try to pounce on us by now." Elizabeth was glad that Cardin was thinking the same thing, though his expressionless face began to worry her._

 _"BOTH OF YOU STOP RIGHT THERE!" Cardin and Elizabeth both turned back to see a small squad of Atlas and Vale soldiers chasing after them; their weapons were lowered, but their intent on subduing them was prevalent in their ferocious pace._

 _"Shit!" Cardin shouted as the two picked up the pace. Elizabeth could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she began to sprint further down the road. Even so, the soldier's footsteps were growing louder. She looked back, and the fear rose within her as she saw they were closing the distance exponentially._

 _"Keep going!" Cardin yelled at her, and before she could question what he was about to do, the huntsmen turned on his heel and charged at the soldiers with his mace held high. She turned her head back once more to see the shock on the soldiers' faces before one of them got smacked into the side of a building by Cardin. She didn't waste any more time looking on at the fight as she continued to sprint forward._

 _"I'LL BE AT THE SQUARE! MEET WITH ME WHEN YOU'RE DONE!" she shouted back to him, hoping that she could hear her voice over the sporadic cries of the soldiers along with the ferocious roars who she assumed came from Cardin._

 _Her legs felt like lead as she kept running down the path that led to her destination. The amber sun felt as if it were putting down a layer of heat on her and the suffocating smell of smoke infected her nostrils and throat. Despite this, she put every ounce of strength she had in her legs and continued to pray that Jaune was out of the hole, that someone saw him, that he was resting at a nearby medical tent or something of the sort. "Just please, let him be alright," she said to anyone that was listening, mostly to this world's deity known as Oum._

 _Her hopes were shattered though as she finally made it to the square, only for there to be no pit._

 **#**

 _"Jaune."_ Jaune winced, and his eyebrows twitched ever so slightly as he could hear something ringing in his head.

 _"Jaune!"_ this time he knew whoever was calling him wasn't conjured by his imagination. _"You need to get up right now!"_ he slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by darkness. For a moment, he believed that his eyes were still closed or if he had gone blind.

"The hell?" Jaune whispered to himself as he was trying to get his bearings together. He couldn't help but feel the frustration rise within him as he realized that this is the second time he woke up in a daze today. That frustration dissolved in an instant as he yelped in pain and grasped his left leg that felt as if it were on fire. He squeezed his eyes shut as the agony began to bombard his brain. He snapped his fingers, causing a flame to flicker between his index finger and thumb and slightly gasped when he saw two slim, but gaping gashes in his thigh. Blood was slowly spilling from his thigh and onto the gravel below him, and as he tried to stop the bleeding with his aura, he felt no such sensation emitting from his being. "W-What?" he stuttered, fear dripped in that one word.

 _"Didn't think your memory was this shitty."_ Jaune groaned in pain and frustration as the condescending tone of whatever that voice was plagued his head.

 _"Then again, you just got your ass handed to you by that Ursa not too long ago."_ At that moment, Jaune's eyes widened, realizing where he was.

 _"Yup, you're in the hole."_ the voice slightly joked. _"No aura, no weapons, and with two gashes in your leg"_ Jaune checked to see if his statement was true and closed his eyes as a feeling of dread overcame him due to the realization that his hand cannon was empty, and his sky hook was jammed with Ursa fur which was entangled in the gears.

"Shit." Jaune's breath began to quicken as he took off his sky hook and ripped off the straps with his teeth. Due to the dust that Ruby implemented into the fabric, the straps made the sky hook comfortably with elasticity. He tied the two straps together and winced slightly as had to douse his only source of light so he could tighten the makeshift tourniquet.

Relief slightly filled his being as he snapped his fingers once more, his source of light that gave him a false sense of security. That light began to grow as his entire hand became engulfed with molten earth and fire. The remnants of any relief he had diminished. However, as he looked down at his wounds, blood still slightly oozing from his thigh, he looked back to his hot hand and let out a shaky breath.

 _"Not going to lie, kid,"_ the voice said, breaking Jaune's internal silence, _"But this is going to be slightly unpleasant. Even if it isn't your first time doing this."_ Jaune rolled his eyes at this revelation.

"Understatement of the century," Jaune muttered to himself as he grabbed the outer plating of his sky hook and broke it off from the rest of the vambrace. With a few shaky breaths, Jaune placed the leather binding that cushioned the armor plating in his mouth; his tongue curled at the bitter taste layered with dust. "Oum or God let me get through this," Jaune muttered through the leather as he could feel the heat as his hand became closer to his thigh. Jaune squeezed his eyes shut and with a quick breath, pressed his fingers along the lining of the wound.

"NNNNNNNNRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGH!" Jaune felt as if his lungs were on fire as he let out horrendous, but muffled screams. If it weren't for his make-shift mouthpiece, he would have a pretty safe guess that all of Vale could hear him. Both his hands began to shake ever so slightly as the smell of cooked meat began to fill the void.

"MMMMMRRRRHHHRRRRGGGGGHHHH!" Jaune cried out once more as he pulled his hot hand away from one of his wounds. Sizzling filled the silence, and Jaune could see the smoke emit from his leg.

Despite his progress, he looked at the smaller wound and reluctantly accepted that this wasn't over yet. Not once dropping his mouthpiece, Jaune took a few more rapid breaths as he felt his pain receptors and adrenaline flood through his entire being. In those moments, Jaune once more clamped his eyes shut tight and placed his fingers on the second wound.

"MMMMRRRRRRRRGHHH!" Jaune felt the tears flow from his eyes while he jerked his head back and forth, feeling the back of his skull scrape against a broken piece of concrete. The smell of cooked hamburger meat once more encompassed him and Jaune could barely keep focus on what he was trying to accomplish.

"NNNNNNNRRRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!" Jaune dropped his mouthpiece, and he retracted his hand from the wound. He could feel the heat dissipate immediately.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Jaune grasped his leg and couldn't stop the hot tears from flowing down his face. The heat resonated in both wounds, trapping whatever pain he had into two focal points in his leg. In those moments, however, Jaune focused as much as he could into his right hand and as if on instinct, he felt the cool and slimy texture of the undertow vigor and instantly placed both his hands on his thigh, bringing some relief to his being.

Jaune continued to jerk back and forth in agony for a little longer than he wished, but soon enough, the undertow took effect, and he could feel the muscles in his leg relax along with every other muscle in his body. A few breaths escaped his lips as he wiped the tears and dirt from his eyes and slowly got to his feet. Jaune could feel the sash hang loosely around his neck and instantly yanked it off. The blonde knight sucked a breath through his teeth as he tightened the sash around his leg and followed this actions by tearing a piece of his right pant leg off, doing the same treatment to the second wound.

"Why is it always an Ursa that tries to do me in?" Jaune asked himself as he snapped his fingers, which caused the flame to flicker once more. He glanced around the dimly lit tunnel and could see the remains of the train that crashed through the surface toppled over and crushed together into one horrible, metallic abomination.

"Wait a minute," Jaune said as he looked up from where he was standing. "If I fell in through a hole, then where is it?" his heart began to pound against his chest as panic started to take over his mind.

 _"Damn, didn't think Goodwitch's semblance worked that fast,"_ Jaune paid no attention to the voice at this point as he gritted his teeth to get up.

"No, no, no, no NO!" Jaune shouted as he limped towards the area he awoke from. "HEY! I'M STILL DOWN HERE!" Jaune hoped that his voice could somehow travel through massive layers of asphalt and cement. "NORA! RUBY, OOBLECK! GOODWITCH! ANYBODY!" Jaunes left hand tightened, knowing that what came next was a futile attempt. "PYRRHA! PLEASE! I'M DOWN HERE!" he screamed as loud as he could and soon collapsed to his knees, ignoring the pain that flared in his left thigh. "Please," his voice quivered as he closed his eyes. "Please help me, Elizabeth."

 _"Well it appears you're not as dense as you let on,"_ the voice intruded his mind once again, and instead of showing disdain, all the blonde knight did was tilt his head in slight curiosity. _"Knowing that the woman you saved from that Ursa was Elizabeth."_ Jaune's shaking ceased as the voice said this and his eyes narrowed at the ground beneath him.

 _"For God's sake kid!"_ the voice began to grow angry. _"How could you not see her?! The way she was always sticking around you today, worrying a bit too much for someone you just met. Her fucking voice is just slightly different. Her pinky that you somehow failed to notice, and let's not forget the cherry on top of this shit show. The fact that you took off after her when that Alpha Beowolf had its sights on her and to only follow by taking every hit that was aimed at her. The last time you did anything remotely like that was when you saved Elizabeth from Comstock's experiments."_ Jaune remained still as his mind replayed the words over and over, trying desperately to find a counterargument for the voice's proof on the matter. Though everything he said was right. The last point in particular. Was that why his heart tightened when she was confronted by the Alpha Beowolf and the Ursa?

"Even if you were right," Jaune started, still attempting to catch his breath. "Why would she be here? In Remnant?" Jaune said with an excessive amount of venom in his voice, though found himself being surprised at the fact that he was accepting this revelation.

 _"You're going to have to ask her that yourself when you get out of here."_ the voice replied, and Jaune quirked an eyebrow when the voice followed up his answer by chuckling ever so slightly. _"Or IF you can even get out of here, considering that we have company."_ Jaune tilted his head in confusion as the voice chuckled with amusement once more.

HSSSSSSS

Jaune's shoulders tensed immediately as the familiar sound slithered into his eardrums. Goosebumps formed all over his body as he realized where he was, to begin with. The only altercation that Jaune was faced with was that there was no way to escape out of the tunnel with a horde of Grimm closing in on his position. The tiny flame only shined through a fraction of the darkness, but Jaune didn't need to know that Grimm were coming his way. The red eyes that began to pierce the darkness confirmed his guess.

"Sweet Oum," Jaune whispered as he slightly limped back, hoping to get some space between him, and whatever was past the darkness.

"Oum?" Jaune's entire body seized once more as the sound of that feminine, uppity voice which was laced with her condescending accent entered his reality once more.

"Or is it God?" another voice pierced through the darkness, similar to the first voice but this one being much more masculine and fueled with much more wit. Even though there were no bullets in his gun, Jaune turned on his heel and brandished his hand cannon, followed by him rapidly pulling the trigger at the two neatly pressed and perfectly clean twins who were face to face with his bloody, dirt riddled face. The only noise that followed was the repeated clicking of the gun.

"Do you think he knew that shooting us was a futile attempt?" Robert Lutece asked his twin sister, though keeping his cold eyes locked on Jaune's wild look.

"In what way?" Rosalind Lutece retained her attention on Jaune as well.

"It could be he had forgotten that he had run out of bullets."

"And the alternative?"

"He had just realized that we are just a figment of his warped imagination?"

"H-How?" Jaune stuttered as he stumbled and fell backward. Jaune let out a grunt as he shuffled further back from the twins whose stares were stabbing into his soul. "How are you two still alive?!" Jaune tried but failed to control his breathing as his chest heaved in and out.

"He simply isn't hearing us brother."

"Well, does one listen to their imagination?"

"Perhaps if one was insane."

"Well it is apparent he listens to his. That voice and all."

"Of course, the voice. Quite the chatterbox that one."

"Could be worse. He could end up like the others."

"True. Another consistent variable would be problematic."

"ENOUGH!" Jaune screamed as he struggled once more to get to his feet. "Why are you here?! I escaped Columbia! Elizabeth escaped! WHY ARE YOU SO FIXATED ON ME!" Jaune's hands combusted once more into a combination of fire and lightning as he seethed through his teeth.

"He seems to forget that we aren't here," Robert said, ignoring Jaune altogether.

"Well, he was quite the oblivious and forgetful one when we found him."

"Though one must eventually come to terms with what is fantasy and reality."

"ANSWER ME!" Jaune said as he hurled a molten orb of magma towards the twins. His attempt was futile as the full ball of magma passed right through them.

"We could be the last line of defense in your brain," Rosalind said at the two looked at him.

"One does find unusual ways to cope or protect themselves from mental stress."

"Or we could be the drive that keeps you violently kicking no matter what."

"He IS a constant of the variables."

"But THE variable of the constants."

Before Jaune could let out another outburst, the ball of magma exploded into a bright inferno, which decorated the darkness in a crimson light. Within a blink, Jaune saw that the Lutece twins ceased to exist, and what took their place, were countless Grimm. Beowolves and Ursa lined the tunnel. Their fangs glistened against the fire that decorated the outer rim of the pit. Creeps growled and croaked with anticipation as their crimson eyes narrowed in on his frightened sapphire ones. Finally, a King Taijitu was in the center of them all. Despite the tunnel being somewhat short, its head was above the rest of them, eyeing him in a serpentine pattern. Fear didn't flow through Jaune. It froze within his heart and remained there as the countless pairs of eyes and rows of teeth were all aimed at him with the intent to tear him to pieces.

"False Shepherd. False Shepherd." Jaune shook his head with a quick jolt as he started to hear a soft chant that for some reason, was coming from the Grimm. He clamped his eyes shut as he limped back slightly some more. His efforts were fruitless though as the chanting only grew louder. "False Shepherd. False Shepherd. False Shepard!" Jaune's mouth slightly gaped as the sound of bones cracking echoed through the tunnels. The blonde knight felt his stomach drop as he opened his eyes, only to see the top halves of all the Creeps and Beowolves' heads begin to snap fold back slowly to a one-eighty degree, revealing human heads in their mouths.

"No," Jaune whispered as his eyes gaped at every distorted face that sporadically twitched and chanted his name. Some were missing eyes, some had their necks snapped one way or another, some had slit throats, and there were somewhere their heads were split down the middle with their neck being the only thing keeping them whole. Jaune's jaw began to violently quiver as he took another step back. He knew these faces; their voices. They were the ones he sent to an early grave after all back in Columbia. Comstock and Fitzroy's men; every single one that he killed was once again facing him.

"Such a shame," Fear was replaced with terrified fury in the span of a millisecond as the obnoxious tone of Jerimiah Fink invaded his ears. Jaune turned his attention to the closest Alpha Beowolf which also had his head split back. The monopolizing bastard's head was resting in the center of the Grimm's mouth but contrasted the rest of them with an antagonizing smirk while his smoky eyes seemed to twitch at the sight of Jaune.

"Could have been a lion kid, like your father," Fink added, though a threatening tone began to be much more prevalent as his smirk morphed into a scowl. "Instead you're worse than a hyena. You're nothing but a parasite. A pathetic, squandering parasite. Your father was right to try and remove you from the picture altogether." Jaune's head was violently twisting and turning in this insanity as he tried his best to get a grasp on what was happening.

"No, no, no, no." Jaune shook his head as he tried to block out the chanting and Fink's words as he covered his ears.

"YOU WERE A FIGHTER!" Jaune's head darted up once more as another voice cut through into his eardrums, this time the source came from the Ursa Major that was on the right side of the King Taijitu. It resembled them all, though this one housed the head of Daisy Fitzroy, whose faded eyes were gouging into his very being. "You knew what was happening! You had the heart to start a revolution!" an angered growl escaped her lips. "Instead you get yellow-bellied and turn tail at the sight of trouble." Jaune glared back with anger this time, knowing what she said was the farthest from the truth. Wasn't it?

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Jaune said as the flames and lighting in his hands began to amplify. There was no use in feeling the pain that was radiating through him, if there was any, the adrenaline that was pumping through his veins made sure that pain was non-existent; though this didn't stop Jaune from cowering backward with fear.

"Arc," a gasp escaped the blonde knight's mouth as his head slowly turned towards the King Taijitu; Its head wasn't folded all the way back, but instead in its mouth, rested the calm, but stern scowl of Zachary Hale Comstock. His gaze unto the knight was the personification of disapproval.

"You struggle against prophecy like a stone loose from a sling," Jaune yelped slightly as his back slammed into a dead end that consisted of loose rubble and boulders.

"Shit," Jaune whispered to himself. "Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" his volume rose as the snake Grimm slowly slithered forward while it still looked down at Jaune.

"How thrilling the launch," Comstock responded, apparently ignoring what Jaune had to say. "How breathtaking the apex, and how terrifying the descent as gravity drags you down into the inevitable." Jaune's only response was to cover back up his ears as he curled his legs up to his chest. Though despite every fiber of his being screaming for him to do so, his eyes refused to shut and instead, remained fixated on Comstock's face that slowly looked more and more furious. The serpent's body reeled back at a steady pace, and Jaune could see the snake's fangs gradually extend over Comstock's face.

"NOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGH!" Jaune screamed with pure fear as the King Taijitu let out one last hiss before lunging at Jaune with its fangs ready to plunge into him.

 _"Put your hands up."_ a shock traveled through Jaune's mind as his instincts kicked into overdrive and he didn't even register that his hands were blocking the strike from the Grimm. Jaune was just as confused as the grim was while he noticed his hands were wrapped around the King Taijitu fangs. Adrenaline began to surge through his being and with a rageful yell, he snapped both fangs from the snake's mouth which caused the Grimm to recoil back as it let out a hiss of pain. Jaune noticed that as he did this, the faces were gone and were just Grimm; any remnants of Columbia were non-existent.

"What the hell?" Jaune asked himself as he looked down at his hands that each had a tight grasp on the King Taijitu's fangs.

 _"You honestly think you're going to die here?"_ the voice asked only to follow its question with a chuckle. _"Jaune, I think I know you more than you know yourself_." the tone of the voice only fueled the seething anger within the blonde as he just stood there. _"Deep down, you won't let yourself die here. You're scared you'll never see anyone again. Not Pyrrha, not Oobleck, Not Nora, and certainly not Eliza-!"_

"Will you just fuck off?!" Jaune screamed as he squeezed his eyes shut. At the moment, he didn't care for the Grimm that slightly backed away after his little stunt with the King Taijitu. "I am sick of you!" One Beowolf let out a growl which caused Jaune's eyes to open just as the beast pounced at him. Jaune felt no pain from his left leg as he dived out of the way and proceeded to stab the Beowolf in the neck with one of the King Taijitu's fangs. A yipe emitted from the beast as its form slumped which caused the rest of the Grimm to rile up with excitement.

"Ever since I got back to Remnant, all you do is bitch and moan about me and kick me when I'm fucking down!" All care was thrown to the wind as Jaune charged towards the horde, to which the Grimm answered in kind.

"Every time something happens, you come along to make it worse!" Jaune saw that a Creep was circling to his blind side, to which the blonde threw one of his fangs. A gurgled squeal escaped the Creeps throat as the tooth punctured its neck. Jaune proceeded to charge at the disintegrating beast and removed the tusk from its throat as he vaulted over it.

"The fights with Pyrrha!" Jaune roared as he plunged his left arm into a Beowolf's stomach.

"The way Beacon has treated me!" he followed his strike with a swift kick to a Boarbotusk's face who had tried to charge him from behind.

"The night I almost lost Nora!" Jaune aimed his sights on an Ursa that was charging at his front and followed suit. The Grimm attempted to swipe at his head, but its efforts proved to be fruitless as Jaune slid under the strike and stabbed the Ursa at opposite ends of its neck.

"And EVERYTHING WITH ELIZABETH!" Jaune roared as he spun around on his heel and threw one of the fangs at another charging Beowolf's stomach.

"YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT MAKE IT WOR-AAGH!" Jaune screamed as an Alpha Beowolf blindsided him. The Grimm tackled him with ferocious strength, and as the two tumbled across the rubble, each was able to get a few hits in on each other. Jaune winced a bit as he felt the Grimm's claws scrape against his torso. Both tumbled for a few moments more before Jaune became pinned underneath the Alpha Beowolf's massive weight. The beast roared in the blonde knight's face, and despite his struggle, the Grimm had the upper hand. The gigantic horde that began to encompass the two was a testament to that claim.

"Get off me you son of a-AGH!" Jaune cried out as the Alpha sliced at his chest. Four, fresh claw marks decorated Jaune's scarred chest, and as the blood began to trickle down both sides of his body, Jaune saw that the Alpha had its claw reeled back for another strike. Instinct alone caused Jaune's hand to block his face, which concluded with one of the Alpha's claws to puncture through his left hand.

"RRRGGGH!" Jaune gritted his teeth as he kept his hand up despite the pain that ignited through it. The Grimm's claws were only inches from Jaune's face, and the rest of the horde became closer. He could hear the beast on top of him snarl with anticipation. Jaune's only response was to close his eyes. This was it for him. He was going to be torn to shreds by the horde. They were going to feast upon his being as they rip apart his limbs and gorge on his organs. In those moments he didn't think of anyone. Not Nora, not Pyrrha, not even Elizabeth. The only notion that resided in his head was a straightforward question.

"Why couldn't I just come back to the way things were?" he whispered to himself as the horde pounced on him. In the darkness, he could feel the sudden pressure as the countless Grimm tried to crush him with their weight. A moment would pass every time he felt a sharp pain in his side or chest, and all he would do was wince at the sudden pain. There was no oxygen as he was being more and more smothered by the massive weight which caused his muscles to relax a bit as well as cause him to be light headed. The pressure grew to an unbearable amount of pain, and he couldn't help but feel a few tears escape his closed eyes before he succumbed to the darkness.

"Because the person you were before, isn't here anymore Jaune." Jaune awoke to the voice that plagued his thoughts. Before he could protest to the sudden voice, he noticed that he was suspended in a white void. There was no floor and no ceiling. The only distinct contrast to the void was his tattered and broken body along with the speck of darkness that Jaune saw off in the distance.

"The kid who was kidnapped by those twins and sent up to the city in the sky didn't come back." The speck grew larger with every word the voice said, and before long, Jaune noticed that the speck formed the silhouette of a human who looked as if he was casually strolling towards his way with his hands in his pockets.

"Whether you believe it or not Jaune, you've changed. That's why I am here. I'm here to make you see that." the voice's tone grew a little irritated as he said this and Jaune's eyes widened as he noticed the character that came his way. Their attire was the same, though his outfit was absent of any blood or torn holes and the sash around his neck was a little longer than the blonde knight's. The gruff man yanked Jaune by his collar and gritted his teeth. "Whether you like it or not."

"Booker?" Jaune asked as the man in question slightly shoved Jaune back.

"Hell, I don't know myself," Booker gestured to his being, "Maybe this is your mind trying to cope with what you did to the poor bastard or a constant reminder of what you did. I could care less about that right now." he followed by jabbing a finger into Jaune's chest as he ignored the wince that the blonde made as his finger made contact. "Right now, you need to get out of this mess."

"You honestly think I can do that?" Jaune snapped back. "Last time I checked, I was getting mauled by a horde of Grimm! I can't exactly claw my way out this time!"

"Says the kid that cheated death time after time and escaped from Columbia," Booker said as he folded his arms to which Jaune slightly growled.

"Remnant and Columbia are two completely different places." Jaune snapped back.

"You're right," Booker sarcastically replied, "You can't almost slip and fall off the face of the city in Remnant."

"Not what I meant," Jaune said as his glare intensified. "Besides, Remnant doesn't take kindly to people like me."

"And pray tell, what are the people like you?" Jaune scoffed at Booker's sarcasm.

"Batshit insane people Booker!" Jaune could feel his cheeks heat up as he felt a tingling sensation in the back of his head. "People who talk to the voices in their head! People that nearly curb stomp their friends the first day they come back! People who get the few they can call friends almost killed! People who will never become huntsmen!" Jaune's lip quivered, and his teeth chattered as he mustered all the resistance he had to not break down. "People that are no heroes and a god damn disgrace who aren't welcomed anywhere."

There was no response from Booker as Jaune said this. A few moments passed, and before Jaune could say anything more, he could feel the blunt force of Booker's fist cross his face. A cry escaped his lips as he massaged his jaw.

"Two fucking weeks out of Columbia and you forgot everything you learned?!" Jaune felt his chest quake slightly as Booker roared at him.

"You forgot what you were good at? The one thing that separates you from everyone at Beacon?!" another tremor shook within Jaune's core as he grew worried as to what was happening.

"You were never a huntsman Jaune!" Booker grabbed the frightened blonde by the shoulders and shook him violently. Jaune noticed the panicked but determined look on Booker's face as he felt the feeling his chest only rise.

"You are a survivor! You never cared for what people thought of you! You've made it out of hellhole after hellhole because you are so much stronger than you know!" Jaune felt that feeling within his chest rush to both of his hands. A burning sensation began to build within him as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"How would you know?!" Jaune shouted back to which Booker grasped his tattered collar.

"Because you have something that Booker lost long ago." The voice said, and Jaune cocked his head in confusion, why did Booker refer to himself in the third person? "The will to live." Jaune winced as he felt that feeling rose exponentially.

"So, stop running from who you are!" the voice of Booker rang in his ears as more feelings began to spread throughout him. Feelings that burned, shocked, dampened and reinforced his very being.

"Embrace it!" Sparks emitted from Jaune's hands along with a few flickers of fire. He could also feel a violent gust of wind blow through him as he became more and more panicked.

"AND SURVIVE!" Booker roared, and once the feeling within Jaune reached its peak, Jaune gasped for air as his eyes shot open. He was back in the tunnel along with the Grimm that were trying to devour him. That feeling never left him though as he felt a power he was all too familiar with surging through his system.

"RAAAAAAAAAGH!" Jaune cried out as he unleashed the power from both his hands. He could feel the familiar burning and electrifying sensations project from his hands and he knew that they were only growing stronger. The movements that the Grimm were making ceased as their curiosity only grew. The power overflowed, and before the Grimm could discover what was happening, two massive explosions erupted from underneath them. Any Grimm in the direct vicinity were disintegrated or electrocuted within an instant and any other Grimm that were outside of the blast radius temporarily retreated in fear for their twisted lives.

Sudden coughs could be heard throughout the tunnel as Jaune's hand shot up from the many dismembered limbs and ashes that scattered across the rubble. Any pain he felt at the moment was ignored as he gritted his teeth and forced himself from the pile of carcasses. He took a few deep breaths as he put his hands on his knees to recollect his thoughts. He then looked up to see that there were still countless Grimm before him, though they were anxious and reclusive to some extent. Those that consisted of Alpha Beowolfs and Ursa Majors remained focused on him, and with a sigh, he looked down at his hands that were both molten and electrified at the same time.

"Alright, Booker." Jaune said as he looked back up to the Grimm, "You win." there was no response from the voice which caused Jaune to smile.

 **Play: "Wrong Side of Heaven" by Five Finger Death Punch**

Jaune stepped down from the pile and walked towards the Grimm. His hands were slightly twitching with anticipation as he felt another feeling overtake his being. There was a coldness within him along with the gnawing feeling of excitement. His vision blurred for a few moments and as he rubbed his eyes, he didn't see the Grimm. Instead, he saw everyone that he killed from Columbia. His eyes laid upon the countless soldiers that had no eyes and who were riddled with gunshot wounds.

"False Shepard, False Shepard, False She-!" the chanting was cut short as a stream of lightning struck one of the soldiers. Jaune could hear the gurgled and strained cries of agony erupt from the one who was unlucky enough to be first. A few seconds passed until the convulsions became so violent that the one Jaune struck jerked its head up, only for it to explode into smoke. The body fell to the ground, and Jaune felt no sympathy. He looked back up to the horde and saw the fear in all of the soldiers. It was the same fear he witnessed when he butchered them the first time.

They were all about to relive those moments, one beast at a time.

Jaune's breath slightly hitched as he felt a gust of wind form around him. He couldn't tell how badly his leg was as no pain emitted from his wounds. Nevertheless, Jaune mustered all the strength he could, and with the help of his Vigor, he charged into the horde. He blinked as he made contact with one of his enemies and noticed that they were back to being Grimm. Jaune let out a growl as he grabbed the Beowolf he charged into by the snout and lifted its mouth wide open, only to hurl a Devil's kiss grenade down its gullet. Jaune kicked off the beast and jumped back right when the Beowolf exploded. The blonde knight could see that the explosion took out a few creeps that were in the immediate area as well.

"False Shepard, False Shepard." The chanting returned and echoed into Jaunes mind. He turned around to see that the soldiers were back and three charged right at him. Jaune glared at the ferocious positions the three took. He ducked under the overhead strike and blinked once more. He saw that he was up against three Ursai and before one of the other two could follow up on another strike, Jaune rolled out of the way and thrust his hand forward. A shockwave exploded from his hand which caused the three Ursa to be lifted from the ground and suspended into the air. Jaune once more felt the gust of wind all around him and rammed into the closest Ursa. His hot hands gripped tightly around the Grimm's fur, and as he climbed on top of the confused beast, he slammed a Ram Charge fueled fist into the Ursa's forehead, which caused the bone plating to shatter and allowed Jaunes fist to plunge into its brain.

He couldn't care about the combination of black ooze and his blood that trickled down his fingers as he leaped from the suspended carcass and charged at the next Ursa. He timed his jump well as he charged both his hands full of electricity and slammed them into the sides of its head. Electricity overload the Ursa, and eventually, its head exploded with a sudden force. Jaune recoiled back at this and jumped back to the rubble beneath them.

The effects of the Bucking Bronco were starting to wear off as the last Ursa began to drift back to the floor. Jaune ceased this moment as he bolted towards his foe, all while snapping off one of the dead Ursa's massive claws. The sharp appendage fits well in Jaune's hands as he tackled the last Ursa to the ground. The two tumbled for a few moments which ended with Jaune on top with the Ursa claw reeled back.

"STOP! PLEASE!" Jaunes vision distorted in those moments and the Ursa that was underneath him morphed into someone he wished he never knew. The face of Jerimiah Fink appeared once more as he shielded his sight with his arms. Jaune's breath hitched slightly as his mind went back to when the man in front of him pleaded the same to Fitzroy. The panic and fear were all too apparent in his eyes, and it was something Jaune could relate to.

"Shut up," Jaune growled as he plunged the claw into Fink's neck. A choked cry came from the businessman as he reached for Jaune's face. Blood spurted from his jugular which splashed Jaune's face, though the blonde didn't feel it, or he didn't care as he looked up from the corpse to see that Fitzroy was facing him.

"You yellow-bellied son of a-!" Fitzroy shouted as she charged at Jaune. The blonde blinked once more to see an Alpha Beowolf charge at him. Jaune let out another breath as he followed suit and sidestepped away from the Grimm's overhead swing. Jaune took those moments of confusion to plunge the Ursa claw along with the majority of his fist into the Alpha's chest.

"Shut up!" Jaune said with a strained voice as he mustered all the strength he could to rip his hand upward. A mixture of Fitzroy's screams and the howls of the Alpha circled Jaune as his hand forced its way up the Grimm's torso and out of its throat. The Alpha fell backward, and Jaune fell with it, only to roll forward as the Grimm hit the ground.

"ARC!" a voice boomed throughout the tunnel which caused Jaune to look up to see that the King Taijitu was back. While its upper fangs were gone, it still had its lower two teeth. Jaune's glare morphed into a ferocious scowl as he once again faced Comstock. The cause of Jaune's wide eyes, however, was that the voice began to distort. There was another voice underneath the prophet.

"I will see you DEAD!" the second head of the King Taijitu rose up and housed another head that the blonde knew all too well. Jaune's hands tightened as they combusted into flames. Despite the distortion, he could never forget the sound of his father's voice. The combination of Comstock and his father only made his fists flare with flames.

"GO TO HELL YOU BASTARD!" Jaune roared as he charged the King Taijitu. The Grimm's head was reeled back to gain enough strength to pounce at Jaune, and as it did this, one of Jaune's hands extinguished with the effects of Undertow while the other burned brighter. Jaune threw a magma clump at the floor and leaped into the air, using whatever strength he had left to make him soar at the Grimm. The King Taijitu's second head was the one to pounce at him first and headbutted Jaune square in the torso. The blonde was flung back a few dozen feet due to the sudden force and couldn't help but wince as he felt that a few of his ribs were cracked. Nevertheless, Jaune looked up with shaky breaths and saw that the King Taijitu was right over him, just like he wanted.

Jaune flicked his wrist forward and felt the sudden pulse of the Undertow shoot out from his hand. The stream of water blasted right at the base of the white head of the King Tajitu and wrapped around it. Jaune felt the vigor secure around the Grimm and with all the strength he could muster along with the loudest roar he could make, Jaune pulled his hand back and slammed the Grimm's head to the floor which was right on top of the Devil Kiss cluster that Jaune had set up before he charged forward. The Grimm let out one final hiss before its entire head exploded in a cacophony of flames. The other end of the King Taijitu let out a squealed hiss as he convulsed at the sudden pain and Jaune ceased this opportunity while it was at his level to rush forward and broke off one of the bottom fangs. There was no opportunity for the Grimm to convulse once more as Jaune shoved the massive fang into the King Taijitu's eye and further into its brain.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGGH!" Jaune cried out in anger as he twisted the fang deeper into the disintegrating corpse. The anger and instinct to survive were still burning brightly as he stood there in the silence. The only noise to accompany him was the soft shuffle of ashes that swiftly shuffled across the rubble beneath him. His breathing was extremely heavy, and his legs began to quake from beneath him. The thought of collapsing was apparent within his mind until the terrible but familiar sound of grim infiltrated his hearing once more. Jaune looked up from the rubble to see more red eyes pierce through the ash covered darkness and as he hung his head low, he let out one last sigh before looking up with ignited and elongated hands.

"Alright," Jaune said to himself as he felt the Grimm charge him all at once, to which he followed suit, with a war cry that could shake Remnant to its core.

 **Song End**

 **#**

"Can't this go any faster?!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she was stationed at one of the medical tents, a few dozen meters away from Glynda Goodwitch who was working on reversing the sealing of the pit via her semblance while Port and Oobleck were standing at the ready in case any Grimm emerged. The restlessness and impatience were growing within all of them. Elizabeth looked over at the rest of the students who were being tended to at the medical tent as well and noticed that their morale was at an all-time low.

Ren and Pyrrha were shocked into silence ever since the news of Jaune's whereabouts were discovered. While Ren tried to cope with this news with meditation and a surprising amount of control, Elizabeth could see that Pyrrha was slowly falling apart. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were locked in a widened state as she continued to pace up and down the medical tent. Though she hadn't received any confirmation from Nora, Elizabeth could safely assume that this was how the champion acted when Jaune went missing the first time.

Elizabeth looked across from her cot, and her eyes softened as she saw the blonde brawler, Yang she surmised, consoling her sister who was silently sobbing. Ruby Rose had her knees to her chest and Elizabeth could see that the rose was trying to shield her face from the reality of the situation. There was no sense in trying to help her as well. Not only was Yang filling that spot, but Elizabeth guessed that just the sight of herself would be a reminder to Ruby that if she had just listened to her, Jaune would be in the medical tent with them.

Blake was the one that confused Elizabeth the most, however, from what she knew from Jaune, he and Blake weren't close at all. The only connection they had was that they were friends with other members of each team. So why did she look as if all of this were her fault? She didn't show it like Ruby though; instead, she was leaning against one of the medical desks while looking at her feet. The sheer magnitude of the sorrow that dripped from her was apparent, and despite the confusion as to how she could be feeling this way, Elizabeth guessed that despite not knowing him that much, Blake still valued him as a friend.

"All we can do is wait." Elizabeth snapped her head to Weiss as she had her arms folded while she sat at the edge of her cot with her legs crossed and a cold glare aimed towards her way. "Reversing what Goodwitch did will take a lot more effort than before. At least that's how she explained her semblance that one time in combat class." Elizabeth looked down, not happy with the heiress's response. "That idiot." Elizabeth's head snapped back to Weiss with unbridled fury.

"I would still choose him over you any day," Nora said as she was leaning against the railing of her cot while letting one leg extend out across the ground, earning a shocked look from Ruby, Weiss, and Elizabeth. The heiress's response was only to narrow her eyes at the bomber.

"How about letting me finish what I have to say?" Weiss growled. This, in turn, caused Nora to slightly scoff and gesture for Weiss to go on.

"He could have said anything, and any of us would have helped him." Nora was about to let out another outburst but was stopped by Weiss who to the bomber's surprise, had a calm and almost empathetical look on her face.

"As much as I want to call him on his idiocy, why didn't he ask us for help?" this question caused Elizabeth's jaw to quiver with knowing dread.

"I know I haven't at all been the nicest to him," Elizabeth could see that the heiress's hands were tightly interlocked with each other. "But why didn't you go with him?" her gaze was directed right at Nora. "Why didn't he ask for anyone's help?!" everyone could see that Weiss was not taking this well. Her breathing was becoming more frantic by the second and her eyes were widened to a hysterical degree. "IF HE HAD JUST NOT BEEN AN IDIOT FOR TWO SECONDS, THEN HE WOU-!"

SMACK!

The entire tent went still as everyone gapped at Elizabeth who in those moments of panic, had gotten up and slapped Weiss out of her stupor. The stinging sensation was still apparent as Weiss remained utterly still while Elizabeth stood over her.

"Did it ever occur to you that he knew how weak he was in those moments when everyone was fighting?" Elizabeth growled through her teeth as Weiss slowly turned her head to Elizabeth.

"Maybe he was tired of being weak. Maybe he was fed up with everyone throwing that cruel truth in his face. Wouldn't you feel that way if all anybody called you was Heiress?" there was no inflection in volume as Elizabeth stood there. Though instead, Weiss looked down to notice that something was off with Elizabeth's hands; not just her hands, but her whole body. A thin, distorted outline surrounded Elizabeth, and due to the non-existent reactions from everybody else, Weiss surmised that she was the only one who could see this.

"Maybe all he wanted to do was what he signed up for, so he could be at all of your levels someday." Without another word from Elizabeth, she began to turn on her heel and head to the exit of the tent.

"Here's one last question," Elizabeth asked for everyone with her back turned to the tent. "If you claim to care about him, then why didn't any of you hear him scream when he was in the mouth of that Ursa? Or see him being flung across the square and into the hole? It's not like he was trying to hide it," Elizabeth didn't give them the satisfaction of responding as she exited the tent and decided to head over to where the hole was, or would be.

As she did this though, she noticed in one of the other medical tents, three people who she assumed were fellow students were conversing with each other. What made her narrow her eyes, however, was when the one with the darker complexion nodded to the raven-haired student. In those split moments, she saw a smirk on her face that she knew all too well. A grin that almost resembled the one that Comstock had when she and Jaune finally confronted him; one with ill intent and one that only guaranteed misery. Elizabeth glared at the woman for a split moment before continuing her way towards the professors.

"It wasn't good down there," she heard the green-haired, lanky professor say to the shorter one with the rather impressive mustache as she got closer to the three of them. "Once the bombs detonated…" the lanky professor grew silent as the shorter one put a hand on his shoulder.

"Excuse me," Elizabeth asked, drawing the two professors from their conversation while Goodwitch remained concentrated on the pit that had purple outlines interlaced within each jagged rock.

"Ms. Comstock," Goodwitch addressed without even facing her. Though this didn't stop the other two professors from gaining looks of worry. "As I've said before, this will take some time." The three of them could all see the grip on Goodwitch's riding crop tighten while sweat began to trickle down her face. "Will you please make your way back to the medical tents?" Elizabeth was about to respond to stall her leave, but she noticed that the same green-haired professor step forward.

"Actually," the professor started as he walked over to her while still having his weapon at the ready. "I've been meaning to ask you something." Elizabeth couldn't help but feel curious as to what the man in front of her was about to say.

"First of all, I'm Bartholomew Oobleck, and this is my colleague Peter Port. We are both Beacon professors, and at the moment, I'm helping Mr. Arc with... his return from where he was for the past month." Elizabeth reeled back slightly at Oobleck's last detail, and this only caused the professor to slightly chuckle. "The reason I come to you is to confirm a theory I've had since yesterday." Elizabeth rose an eyebrow at this and folded her arms.

"And that theory is?" she asked in somewhat of a defensive manner. This, in turn, made Oobleck relax just a bit to indicate that he had no aggressive intentions toward her.

"What your connection is to Mr. Arc," Oobleck replied. Elizabeth noticed that Port and even Goodwitch were thoroughly surprised at Oobleck and without missing a beat, Oobleck continued. "Ms. Rose was the one to mention your correlation to him last night while during our mission at Mount Glenn. Considering he had mentioned a person named Elizabeth in his sleep a few nights ago to his partner, and with you showing up a few days later, clearly having an interest in the boy, I just wanted to address if there was anything between the two of you. Apologies on behalf that I am not trying to interrogate you, I'm just trying to have some more context to his situation." Elizabeth was left in the daze due to the sudden bombardment of information sent her way as her mouth hung open slightly.

"Almost there!" Goodwitch called out to Port and Oobleck. The two professors snapped back to attention and were ready in their combat stances, preparing for what was to come out of the hole. "Ms. Comstock, I will only say this once, you need to get back." the tact and authority intertwined with the professor's voice as Elizabeth stood there in protest. The combat professor closed her eyes in frustration and turned back to Elizabeth. "I swear we will do everything we can to bring him back," Elizabeth could see that there was a sense of sorrow in her eyes. "But you need to move. Please." Despite her thoughts screaming at her not to do so, Elizabeth nodded with a defeated sigh and turned around, ready to head back to her tent.

"HALT!" Elizabeth and the professors all were caught off guard as a voice boomed through the square. Before any of them could react, a squad of Atlas and Vale soldiers along with some Atlas drones confronted them with their dust rifles at the ready. "THE FOUR OF YOU! STEP BACK FROM THE AREA AND STAND DOWN NOW!" Port and Oobleck aimed their weapons at the troops that stood before them. Thankfully, Elizabeth could see that they weren't surrounded and the only threat was to the front. Elizabeth could see commotion coming from the tents and saw that teams RWBY and NPR along with a couple of the other student team emerge from their tents to see what the commotion was about.

"What is the meaning of this?" Oobleck responded as his thermos was aimed at the center of the troops while Port was covering their flanks. Elizabeth remained completely still, allowing herself to remain safe from any provoked soldiers. "We are in the middle of rescuing a student. On whose authority are you operating for?" Oobleck's voice echoed through the square with a sense of purpose and conviction that surprised everyone including Port and Goodwitch. Elizabeth looked back to Jaune's friends who came running to aid her but noticed the confusion rising within them, along with the fear from Yang, Blake, and Nora who were the first to see Elizabeth caught within their sights.

"That would be us." A voice broke out, and the confusion within Elizabeth rose as she saw Oobleck and even Goodwitch scowl the moment they heard the man speak. Elizabeth turned her head back to the center of the troops and saw two men emerge as they climbed up the steps to the upper area of the square. One was the general Elizabeth met during her talk with Ozpin. Ironwood she assumed. Although, he carried a heavy gaze as it was downcast to the pavement. The other man by his side was the one that saved her, and the family Jaune was escorting from the Alpha Beowolf an hour prior. Even though all of them had just fought relentlessly to keep Vale safe from the Grimm, his armor was still pristine and held no remnants of dirt or damage. What did catch Elizabeth's attention, however, was the sword at his side. Her fury began to grow as she realized who this man was and what his possible intentions were.

"Alexander," Oobleck growled under his breath. Elizabeth, Goodwitch, and Port all shared the doctor's sentiment toward the politician who removed his polished, white helmet. Elizabeth only felt the urge to disembowel the man as she saw the overconfident smirk on his face.

"Hello, Barty." Alexander mocked as Ironwood said nothing on the matter. The two strode up to face the professors and Elizabeth, but stopped and remained at a safe distance so that if their troops opened fire, they wouldn't be caught in the middle. "I see you all helped yourself to act without orders once again." Elizabeth could swear she heard the handle of Oobleck's weapon crack as his grip tightened.

"We're licensed, huntsmen and huntresses," Oobleck replied while Port simply glared at Alexander and Goodwitch remained focused on unsealing the hole. "We act under Beacon and Ozpin. Not the council." this, in turn, caused Alexander to shake his head condescendingly.

"Not on a magnitude of this level you don't," Alexander responded with a growing smirk. "First responders and any actions that involve the majority of the kingdom fall into the hands of the council. Which would include reopening the source of Grimm." Alexander folded his arms, his armor clinking with metallic tact as he did so. "Ironwood here also agrees with me when I say we can't risk another breach." this caused Oobleck to glare at the general who held no emotion on his face.

"James." Goodwitch hissed as she was still focused on the hole, though even without seeing him, she could tell that he responded with nothing but a tired sigh.

"The situation needs to be contained for the sake of the kingdom," Ironwood said. His words carried a heavy weight to them as everyone realized where this was going. "Once we secure the area and evacuate everyone, then and only then, can we even debate whether to reopen the breach." Oobleck's eyes narrowed at the general. Ironwood refused to look at anyone as he said this and instead, had his gaze fixed on his right hand.

"But our friend is down there!" Ruby was the one to cut the brief silence that engulfed everyone as she stepped forward to Elizabeth's side. Ironwood gave no response to this while Alexander looked slightly unamused.

"What are we supposed to do?! Just leave him there?!" Ruby was beyond distraught as her voice began to crack. Worry began to grow within Elizabeth as she noticed that something was off with Ruby. She couldn't tell if it was due to the intense fighting that had just happened or the situation of the matter, but Elizabeth swore that she saw Ruby's eyes glow just a bit brighter than their usual tone.

"We can't risk the safety of the kingdom for just one boy," Alexander's tone shifted into one with malicious intent as he took a step forward. "It is clear that a girl your age would never be able to fathom this." the verbal jab sparked rage within everyone who was close to Ruby and before Yang could step forward to help her sister, the sound of a weapon being loaded caught everyone's attention.

"Even if that boy, is your SON?!" the students grew more shocked as they had never heard that tone come from Dr. Oobleck before. The huntsman's grip along his thermos was beginning to crack, and his breathing was a bit uneven.

"Bart," Port said as he began to frantically dart his eyes to the soldiers who were all focused on the doctor. Oobleck practically ignored his friend as his eyes remained fixated on Alexander who looked down for a second while he folded his arms. A chuckle escaped the politician's lips, causing the anger within everyone to grow. Even Ironwood was trying to fathom why this was Alexander's reaction.

"Envious to the end eh, Barty?" Alexander said, and Oobleck gritted his teeth. "Trying to have what was never yours. Is that why you care about him so much?" Port could see that Alexander's question was getting to Oobleck due to the doctor's trembling grip on his weapon.

"It's because he's their student you piece of shit!" all eyes focused on Elizabeth as she took a step forward towards Alexander. Her anger resembled Oobleck's expression. "And right now, he needs their help!" her protests were met with agreement from Jaune's friends as they readied their weapons. There was a ferocity within each of them. Yang and Blake had unconditional obligation to help him, Ren, Weiss, and Pyrrha were a bit agitated at the situation, but Nora and Ruby had no hesitation with aiming their sights at the Vale and Atlas soldiers. This action caused all the soldiers to tense while they quickly darted the barrels of their rifles between each of the students and faculty.

"I offered him my help, girl," Alexander said to Elizabeth as he unfolded his arms. "The boy was too stubborn and too dumb for his own good. If he wishes to throw his life away, then who am I to stop him?" Elizabeth's eyes narrowed with a focused fury as Alexander smirked ever so slightly. "Less to worry about if you ask me."

"So, you won't have to take him by force?" Elizabeth nearly growled. She could see that Alexander tensed up at this. Elizabeth looked behind her and noticed the morale within Oobleck and Goodwitch began to rise as she began to expose the politician.

"We found out who you sent to take him after his drink was spiked. You thought you wouldn't be a suspect if they wore your family symbol when they tried to kidnap him?" she turned her head to Team RWBY and JNPR who were all shocked at this revelation. Jaune's team knew that he was drugged, but his father being the reason for it all was news to them. She noticed that Yang looked disgusted at the accusation, Blake looked angry than anything else, there was a look of disdain on Weiss's face as she glared at Alexander, and Ruby looked the most mortified at the truth of the matter.

"Alexander?" Ironwood's tone grew low as he began to glare at Jaune's father. "Care to explain?" the politician remained silent as his cobalt eyes were fixed on the girl that stood against him.

"You're just ceasing an opportunity to remove a thorn in your side, aren't you?" Elizabeth hissed as her hands began to slightly twitch. Her response was a tired sigh from Alexander as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Enough of this. Men, escort the students and staff to the safe zone." No one moved from their positions as he said this.

"And if we refuse?" Goodwtich growled as she still had her back to Alexander, but couldn't help but give him her signature glare.

"Then you will all be arrested, the students will be expelled, and I will have all of you charged with treason against the kingdom." a cold terror invaded them all as Alexander said this. Treason? For trying to save Jaune? Oobleck's thermos began to ignite in response to this. Alexander only sneered at this and turned his back to all of them while he waved his hand to give the order to his men, to which the soldiers began to cautiously make their way toward Elizabeth and everyone else.

"You disgusting," all eyes sans Alexander were back on Elizabeth as she began to take a few steps toward him. "Unbearable, pathetic, piece of SHIT!" Elizabeth screamed as she stormed toward Alexander while throwing caution to the wind. A cacophony of shouts from both Jaune's friends and Alexander's soldiers began to engulf her hearing. She paid no attention to them as she got closer to Alexander. Despite her rage, she noticed that Alexander began to unsheathe Jaune's sword. She didn't care in the slightest as she felt her hands distort a little bit, just like they always did when she opened a tear.

"WHOA!" a voice boomed through all the voices that tried to engulf Elizabeth as she felt a massive weight on both of her shoulders. Before she could protest or make a tear to break free of the load, she was pulled away from Alexander and was slightly shoved back.

"SWEET OUM ELIZABETH! YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH OR SOMETHING?!" Elizabeth was brought back to her rational senses as she looked up to the voice that had separated her from Alexander.

"Cardin?" she asked suddenly as the voices all around them began to fade. "You were able to get away?" she looked at her acquaintance who was much worse for wear. His armor was severely dented, and various gashes decorated his face and neck.

"You said to meet you here when I was done with those guys." Cardin jerked his thumb towards the way they came from and let out a stifled chuckle. "You honestly thought I couldn't handle a few soldiers? Have a little faith." Cardin hoisted his mace on his shoulder as he looked up from Elizabeth to see what the situation was like. The two backed up from the plethora of rifle barrels pointed their way, and Cardin looked to Elizabeth with slight confusion. "Did you guys get Jaune out?" a sour expression formed on Elizabeth's face as she glared at Alexander who still had his hand gripped tightly around Crocea Mors.

"Goodwitch sealed the hole shut. Jaune is still down there." Elizabeth muttered quickly which caused Cardin to raise his eyebrows in pure shock. His head turned toward the direction of the hole, and all he saw was his combat professor trying to unseal it.

"Then open it!" he nearly hollered with urgency. "I heard over the reports from the soldiers in the safe zone that the Grimm were flooding out. If Jaune's still down there…" Cardin trailed off as his grip around his dented mace tightened. Elizabeth noticed his worried demeanor in an instant, but before she could reply to him, Ironwood stepped forward.

"It isn't that simple son," Ironwood said with a sternness to his voice a parent would give to a misbehaving child.

"I'm not your son," Cardin growled back as he took a step forward. There was an apparent amount of frustration within the student's voice as he pointed at the General's chest. "You're the headmaster of a damn huntsmen academy. Isn't it your job to teach people how to help others? To save them?" this question left the general with a sour expression on his face as he looked to Goodwitch who gave the general a look that agreed with the student.

"Some talk coming from one of the first few to run away when the breach occurred." Alexander's voice broke through the tension as he walked forward. Cardin's being froze slightly as the politician announced that fact to everyone. "I heard the reports from one of the safe zones that a Winchester was there, shaking in the corner." Alexander towered over the boy. His glare was intense but a mirth riddled smirk stretched across his lips. "You're the one that abandoned him first. Do you have any say in this matter?"

Elizabeth could see the sudden looks of realization and anger appear upon everyone that knew Cardin personally. Even the professors had looks of slight disdain when this news was revealed. Jaune's team was the worst as Pyrrha and Ren looked as if they wanted to kill him then and there. Nora, on the other hand, was more conflicted than anything. Did she see that Cardin cared? She looked back to Cardin who cracked a bit under the sudden pressure. His left hand was shaking slightly, and as he opened his mouth to defend himself, Alexander shoved back a few feet.

"Such a disappointment to the Winchesters," Alexander said as his smile became a little more twisted. Elizabeth noticed that Cardin's back went a bit rigid as Jaune's father told him this. Elizabeth was just in earshot when Alexander leaned forward into Cardin's ear and chuckled slightly.

"Your father was wise to heed my words to disown you." Both Elizabeth and Cardin's eyes widened to unfathomable degrees as both were left dumbstruck with the sudden revelation that Alexander told them. A few moments passed as Cardin just stood there while he wielded his mace with a soft grip. The dented end fell to the pavement as Elizabeth could see that tears were trying to form within Cardin's eyes. The confusion amongst everyone else only rose as the only response Cardin gave was a shaky breath as he slowly turned around to walk away.

"Cardin!" Elizabeth shouted, but her plea fell on deaf ears as Cardin continued to wander off. Her gaze turned back to Alexander, and her hands began to distort a bit as her anger rose.

"You're a monster," she growled, to which caused Alexander to scoff.

"Please girl," Alexander said as he turned around. "I'm saving this kingdom as we speak." Elizabeth's glare only intensified as he said this.

"Just like Comstock," Elizabeth said to mostly herself. "There's always a man, always a city." this caused Alexander to raise an eyebrow for a moment, but a look of irritation overcame his being.

"Enough of this!" he roared as he looked to the soldiers, "Men! I am ordering you to-!"

 **BOOM!**

The ground shook violently as an explosion erupted and sent shockwaves throughout the vicinity. Confusion overtook Elizabeth as she stumbled a bit. The professors and students shared her perspective on the matter at hand and as her head darted to and from to see what the cause of the explosion was. Her eyes widened as her gaze fixated on one individual that stood out from the rest.

"Cardin!" Elizabeth called out as she got up to her feet. Cardin didn't acknowledge her as he rose his mace once more over his head and aimed it toward the area where the hole would have been.

 **BOOM!**

Elizabeth let out a cry as Cardin slammed his mace onto the pavement. The ground began to crack and cave as Cardin stood still. Elizabeth could see that he ignored the rubble that blew past his face and while beads of sweat trickled down his neck, his face was flat and void of any emotion.

"Winchester!" Ironwood hollered over the panic as the soldiers had their sights on the student in question. "Stand down! Now!" Cardin said nothing as he held his mace over his head once more and let out a primal growl.

 **BOOM!**

"Cardin!" Elizabeth heard Nora call out as the dust settled once more. The bomber had her arms shielding her face as she tried to make her way towards Cardin. "What are you doing?!" there was still no response from Cardin as he took a few breaths and ignited the fire crystal at the end of his mace.

"Stand down you brat!" Alexander roared as he stepped forward to indicate that he had some authority over the matter. "You'll kill us all!" Cardin turned towards Alexander with a cold glare as he pointed his mace along with an aura infused grip towards him.

"How many?!" Cardin yelled as he jerked his mace slightly towards the politician. Everyone grew confused by the sudden question. "How many lives did you save today?!"

"I saved this damn kingdom, child!" Alexander roared.

"No!" Cardin yelled back. "You didn't. You didn't save a single life today! You didn't save any of the people that were torn apart by the explosions, and you didn't even try to help with the first responders! You waited to take the damn credit!" Cardin then gestured to everyone with a frantic look. "We all did! All we did, all we wanted to do was kill Grimm! We didn't save anyone today! None of us did!" Cardin's hand that held his mace was violently shaking as he said this and before anyone could protest, he pointed his weapon to the cracked ground.

"He's the only fucking huntsman I know that tries to save people! The bastard didn't kill that Ursa in the Forever Fall, he saved me from getting myself killed! He didn't go off to kill Grimm when all of this happened; he went out to save people and look for survivors after the explosions wrecked half the square!" Cardin reeled his mace back once more, and with another yell, he slammed the weapon into the pavement.

 **BOOM!**

The fire only reinforced the explosion that the student caused which made the students and faculty stumble back a bit. Elizabeth could see Cardin's aura flicker once the smoke cleared once more and noticed that his breathing was becoming more and more frantic.

"I already let him down once today." Cardin gasped between breaths. "What kind of huntsman am I? I couldn't even save a fucking Faunus!" Elizabeth's eyes softened at Cardin's endeavors as she saw the tears stream down his face and she wondered if he valued Jaune more than the other students did.

"ENOUGH!" Alexander's voice boomed as he held his hand up for his men to aim. "Men, on my mark, open fire on that traitor!"

"Alex! You need to stop!" Ironwood roared as he put a hand on Alexander's shoulder. Only for the politician to violently shrug it off.

"Do that again James, and I will have your head," Alexander growled as he grasped the hilt of his sword. He gave no more recognition to James as he turned back to his men. "Cardin Winchester! If you do not stop this madness, we will open fire on you!"

Elizabeth saw that his threat fell on deaf ears as Cardin gripped his mace with both hands. He rose his mace above his head and let out a heavy breath as he let out a heavy sigh. Elizabeth gasped as she looked back to the firing squad as her hands distorted slightly.

"Cardin!" Oobleck called out. "Stand down!"

"Run You, idiot!" Yang followed.

"Cardin get out of the way!" Ruby begged.

"Cardin!" Nora shouted with a wild fury no one knew she possessed.

"OPEN FIRE!" Alexander roared. There was no hesitation within the soldiers as they unleashed a flurry of dust rounds on the student.

 **THWOOOOOOM!**

A distorted sound tore through the fabric of space and time as a thin white line appeared in front of Cardin. That line expanded into a massive tear which spread further and further. The bullets didn't hit their intended target and instead phased through the projection that appeared before them all. The soldiers ceased their fire as they all stared on in confusion and amazement. The projection fluctuated for a few seconds before it revealed an open sky for all of them to see. Confusion sparked throughout everyone who was in the immediate area, and before anyone could question what had occurred before them, a massive building entered the frame of the projection and proceeded to ascend.

"What the?" Yang asked, puzzled beyond belief. Blake had no answers for her as she too was confused as to what they are all witnessing.

"Guys," Ruby pointed to the projection that flickered slightly as she slowly pulled her scroll out. "Is that building flying?" Jaune's team caught what the Rose said and turned their attention towards the projection and before they could say otherwise, they saw the building be lifted by what they could depict as giant balloons.

"What in the world is this?" Ren asked as another building flew past the projection. Another came after that one and another after that. A plethora of buildings began to fill the entirety of the projection, and before long, a massive statue of a golden, winged, woman rose above the buildings.

"A flying city?" Pyrrha asked as the projection focused on the top of the tower. Her eyes widened as another building passed the frame that mentioned one word that described what they were looking at. "Columbia?" Pyrrha mouthed as the image flickered with a bit of static and before the champion could say anything more, they all noticed that the focus was back on the giant statue's head. Specifically, the statues temple as the door at the side flung open.

 ** _"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"_** a fragmented voice boomed through the projection which caused all the students and faculty to go wide-eyed as they witnessed a familiar blonde knight open the door all the way. His armor was back to what it usually was before his disappearance while a woman in white and blue moved on ahead of him. **_"WHERE ARE WE GOING?!"_** all of them heard him shout over the strong winds.

 ** _"UP!"_** the woman called back, and Nora was the first to notice that the voice was too familiar.

"Elizabeth?" Nora asked herself as she squinted her eyes to get a better look at the woman Jaune was with. The two began to ascend the statue, and as they made it to the top, an ear-piercing squeal erupted which caused everyone to cover their ears. Despite the noise, Nora was able to look up and see a massive beast, something she had never seen the likes of before, rip through the side of the massive statue. A gasp escaped her mouth as the tower quaked and tipped over to one side, to which she could easily see the fear escalate within the Jaune they were all watching.

 ** _"HOOOOOLLLLLLY SHIIIIIIIT!"_** Everyone heard Jaune scream as to their horror, saw him fall off the side of the crumbling tower. A sharp gasp could be heard from Pyrrha while a slight cry of fear sounded off from Ruby. Nora continued to watch in silent horror until she noticed something was off. She looked a bit past the projection and noticed that Elizabeth was helping Cardin back up to his feet. Oobleck was there as well, though he was enamored by the chaos that was shown before them.

"Now!" Nora heard Elizabeth cry out as Cardin lifted his mace once more as soon as he got back up. The Huntsman in training let out a roar as he slammed the cracked pavement with a mighty blow. Once his mace made contact, the ground beneath Cardin, Elizabeth, Goodwitch, and Oobleck fell through. The students and teachers were able to back away at the last moment, but their surprise never diminished when they saw a cloud of black smoke erupt from the tunnel beneath them. Black specks soared along with the breeze and almost enveloped the entirety of the square.

"Oum almighty," Oobleck said as he caught a few of the specks in his hand. "It's Grimm." he looked to Goodwitch who also had a look that gave off a foreboding nature. Oobleck didn't care who was watching them at the moment, and he hardly cared for the commotion that was happening behind him. The doctor readied his mace and looked to his former teammate and colleague. "Glynda, you stay up here in case any Grimm come out." Goodwitch didn't have the privilege to protest at his statement as Oobleck slid down the slope that led to the tunnel below them.

"Elizabeth! Wait!" Goodwitch heard the sudden cry come from Nora. The combat professor turned to see with wide eyes that Beacon's newest librarian followed Oobleck into the tunnel without a second thought. She was about to use her semblance to retrieve Elizabeth, but she disappeared from her line of sight, and the massive amount of Grimm particles didn't help her.

"Ms. Valkyrie! Mr. Winchester!" Goodwitch called out with authority to which the students stood at attention. "Retrieve Ms. Comstock immediately! She's going to get herself killed!" the two nodded and followed her orders. Once the two students were out of sight, she looked back to see that there was no commotion from Alexander or Ironwood. She guessed that the two of them were engrossed by the projection that was before them. She just hoped that whatever it was would buy them enough time to retrieve Jaune.

 **#**

Elizabeth Comstock was no stranger to discomfort. She had survived the crumbling utopia of Columbia and endured some of the worst pain imaginable by her supposed father. The darkness that surrounded her along with the heated temperature made her feel like she was broiling in an oven. Nevertheless, she pressed on with a conviction that was stronger than ever.

She didn't want to do it. She knew that tears were a bad choice to make, especially in Remnant. There was no need for them. Elizabeth did not need for them due to the kingdom being in a state of peace and attention was the last thing she needed. However, the situation called upon it, and despite her reservations, she didn't regret it. After all, it spared Cardin from a painful death. What stood out to her, however, was what the tear contained. It was Columbia that was for sure, but Elizabeth wondered why it was during the time where she and Jaune met for the first time? She always told herself that it was wish fulfillment in its way, but it still didn't stop her from wondering why it was that moment in particular. Those thoughts were cut short as she saw the small light of Doctor Oobleck's thermos illuminate the darkness of the tunnel.

"Doctor Oobleck!" she called out sharply. She knew the possibility of Grimm attacks had escalated the moment she entered the tunnel, but the need to get his attention was more important. She saw that the doctor turned on his heel within a millisecond with somewhat wide eyes.

"Ms. Comstock?!" he hissed in a hushed tone as he sped over to her with the help of his coffee. "What on Remnant are you doing here?! You need to get back up to the surface immediately!"

"I'm not leaving here without him!" Elizabeth hissed back. There was a ferocity to her tone as she glared back at the doctor. Her tolerance for orders had reached its peak as the doctor could see despite the small amount of light within his thermos.

"Besides," she said as she held up her hand. "I can take care of myself." Oobleck's eyes widened beyond his glasses as he witnessed her hand distort a bit that resembled the projection that was shown up top.

"I will admit Ms. Comstock," Oobleck said as he turned around to face the darkness. "My questions for you have increased exponentially." Elizabeth smiled slightly as she knew that he would allow her to tag along. "Stay behind me at all times and please keep your voice down. Any attention from Grimm will not make it easier for us to find Mr. Arc." Elizabeth nodded in response and agreed with the professor. Any unnecessary noise will only hurt their efforts.

"ELIZABETH!" both Oobleck and Elizabeth's shoulders tensed with irritation and fear as they heard Nora Valkyrie shriek at them. The echo that followed didn't help them in the slightest as well. There was no time to react as Nora, and Cardin Winchester caught up to them within seconds.

"Nora!" Cardin said with a hushed tone as well. "You're going to get us killed! Keep your voice down!" Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose as the two students began to bicker.

"Enough! All of you!" the three of them jumped slightly as they heard the harsh but hushed voice of Oobleck reverberate off the walls. "At the moment we are or will be compromised of our position!" there was frustration that strained against his throat, though not out of irritation, but of fear for their safety.

"Now, we either all retreat before we are overwhelmed with Grimm, or we press on until we find Mr. Arc. Considering the amount of effort, we had to put into getting down here, I will safely assume that the former is out of the question." there was a brief pause among the Cardin, Nora, and Elizabeth, due to the sudden change within their objective. Nevertheless, the two students and Elizabeth nodded their heads with determination. "Very well. Be wary of anything that might seem off and stay close to the light." as the doctor said this, Cardin ignited the fire crystal that resided at the center of his mace and Oobleck let out a breath of relief due to the massive amount of light they gained.

The four continued to make their way forward, and as they did so, all of them couldn't help but feel a sense of concern through their very beings. Elizabeth knew what they were all thinking considering they had just witnessed a small segment of Jaune's life in Columbia. She simply waited for any of them to say anything.

"I thought it was just his way of coping," Nora said out loud as she gripped her hammer tightly. Elizabeth looked back at her and noticed the slight shock that was still apparent. "I didn't know that it existed." Nora looked to Elizabeth for any answers on the matter, and her only response to the bomber was a nod. Cardin noticed this and narrowed his eyes at her.

"You're telling me," he started with a hint of disbelief, "That was where he was for the past month?" he added on and Elizabeth looked forward, not sure how to respond to that. The reason that question was difficult to answer was due to the guilt that built up within her after she left him. Nevertheless, she nodded once more.

"And I take it that was you with him in whatever we saw back there?" Elizabeth was caught off guard by Oobleck's immediate question, and as a few moments passed, she let out a slow breath.

"Yes." her answer was short and quick. There was an embarrassment I that she couldn't hide and this seemed to only ignite their interest even more.

"Before we bombard her with any more questions, we should keep in mind that Mr. Arc is our top priority," Oobleck said as he stepped over a heap of scrap metal and rubble that came from the destroyed train only a few feet to their left. Oobleck lowered his thermos for the others to see, so they didn't trip on anything. Despite the sudden silence, the tension never ceased to be apparent.

"Thank you, Cardin," Elizabeth said all of a sudden which peaked both Nora and Oobleck's curiosity. "Getting us out of the safe zone and for this." a short grunt was the precursor to Cardin's response as he kept his mace up and steady.

"Despite what that dick said, Winchesters are honest," Cardin said with a softer voice. "We may have our fair share of troubles in the political and modern world, but at the end of the day, we are the few that are proud to speak our minds. No matter what's on them." his grasp on the mace loosened slightly, and Elizabeth noticed his eyes softened. "I was just trying to live up to the family name." Elizabeth took waited for him to catch up to her side and she put a hand on his dented shoulder. He looked at her for a second and before he could let his pride get in the way of her comforting nature, he saw in her eyes that she somehow knew what he was going through. There were no words between them in those moments, only understanding.

"Wait!" the two of them and Oobleck heard Nora call out. "I think that's him!" this peaked all of their interests and Elizabeth looked over to where Nora was pointing. Her eyes scanned the darkness for a few moments before they snapped back to the one abnormality within the area. The contrast in brightness that barely broke through their line of sight. The brightness was the pale visage of Jaune's scarred chest. A gasp escaped Elizabeth as her eyes locked onto the blonde knight. He was sitting up against the wall of the tunnel, and from what she could see from her location, his back was hunched.

"Jaune!" Elizabeth shrieked as she sprinted to him. Caution was thrown to the wind along with Oobleck's warnings, and as she barreled towards him, her fear only grew as his wounds and beaten form became more prominent.

"No, No, No, No, NO!" it didn't take her long to reach his side, and she put her hands on his sticky shoulders. Grime and caked blood covered his entire body, and his chest was scraped to all hell. He remained still despite her contact, which caused her to jerk him forward a bit. "JAUNE! WAKE UP!" she screamed with desperation. She looked back to the others who were with her and noticed that Nora was at her side. Cardin and Oobleck stayed at a short distance, though wide-eyed and still with their movements. She began to look around her feet and nearly gasped as she failed to notice the amount of Grimm that were dissipating at their feet. A sense of wonder and fear overcame her as she had to ask if Jaune was the one that fought them all. The fangs and claws that rested at his feet indicated that he did.

"Jaune! Please, please, please PLEASE wake up!" Elizabeth heard Nora beg as she too was assessing his injuries. Jaune's form refused to move, and his eyes remained closed. A slight gasp escaped Nora as she put her a hand to her mouth.

"C'mon Jauney Boy," Cardin said with some desperation to his voice. "Quit screwing with us and get up already!" He was at Jaune's side as well for a few moments as he too assessed the situation of Jaune's wellbeing. Silence was the student's only response, and a growl escaped him.

"Dammit Jaune!" Cardin Roared as he shook the still knight. "GET UP!" Elizabeth and Nora both could feel the desperation within him as continued to shake Jaune.

"Who's gonna train me huh?! Who's going to face off against me in the tournament?! Whose gonna-!" Cardin stopped in those moments. His breath hitched as his grip tightened on Jaune's shoulder, little did he know that his aura resonated slightly. "Who's going to be there Jaune? There's no one left." Cardin muttered as he let go of Jaune and took a few steps back. All of them saw Cardin back away even further as his shoulders buckled slightly. None of them saw him cry, and they knew his pride wouldn't allow that. It didn't stop all of their hearts from aching.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, felt her heart dissipate along with the rest of the Grimm. Tears couldn't help but fall from her cheeks as her hands continued to stay on Jaune's shoulders. Despite the sadness that began to grow within her, she let out another sharp breath and shook him once more.

"JAU-!" she gasped as a hand shot up to her bicep. It was rough and oozed with blood, but it didn't stop the shock to run through Elizabeth's being. There was a silence before shallow breaths could be heard from Jaune's person.

"Please stop… shaking me Elizabeth." Jaune said as he arched his back and neck up. Elizabeth could see there was a look of agonizing discomfort on his face. A few moments passed before he opened his eyes and for the first time in what was an eternity for her along every setback, Jaune stared back into her eyes with a full understanding of who she was. "It hurts when I move."

"JAUNE!" both her and Nora exclaimed as the two proceeded to hug him for a split second. That is until they heard the sudden cry escape his mouth. The two of them recoiled back, and he couldn't help but smile at his pathetic state.

"Heh," Elizabeth heard Cardin let out a strained chuckle. "Dammit, Arc. Why are you always scaring us like this?" she heard him say to Jaune as he walked forward. There was a genuine smirk on his face as he hoisted his mace on his shoulder. Jaune replied by lifting his other hand up in an attempt to wave, though only gained a shocked expression from all of them as they could see through the center of his hand.

"Force of habit," Jaune said as he winced from the pain in his hand. "Gotta watch out for the claws next time." Jaune joked until he began to cough violently. Worry shot through his three rescuers and despite the warm reunion, it didn't stop Oobleck from assessing the situation.

"Glad that you are still with us Mr. Arc," Oobleck said as his tone grew more serious. "Cardin, I need you to help carry him back. Nora, carry his mace, and Elizabeth, help Cardin. I will be our rear guard." there were no objections as the three did what they were told while Nora led the way back to the entrance. There were no more words, only grunts from Jaune and looks of concern from the students.

A few minutes passed as the five of them made their way back to the entrance. Once they made it to their destination, the four rescuers noticed that the slope was somewhat steep and they didn't know if Jaune could make it up without their assistance.

"I'll make my way up first," Elizabeth said as she let go of Jaune's semi-conscious form. "Cardin, I need you to come up with me. Nora and Oobleck are going to push him up while we pull. Sound good?" she asked which only led Cardin to nod with determination. Oobleck and Nora set their weapons aside and got a hold of Jaune. Both were surprised to see the light on him which showed his body in all its scarred glory. Each mark had a story of its own and Oobleck knew that there would be more to talk about in their future sessions.

"Okay, We're ready!" Elizabeth called out as she didn't even care for the tear that was still open behind her. What she did notice, however, was the silhouette of a certain bird that swooped within the tear. She put her mind off that for now as she and Cardin reached out for Jaunes hands. "Jaune, you need to take our hands! Please!" she called out which caused Jaune to look up despite the brightness that invaded his eyes. She saw his hands slowly reach up to her, as if he was begging for salvation and as the two pulled him into the light, they could see his dried tears mix with the blood on his face.

"Oof!" Cardin said as he caught Jaune's body before the blonde knight fell forward onto the destroyed concrete. Both he and Elizabeth saw that his clothes were nearly ripped to shreds and his left leg had a massive wound in two spots, though it didn't seem to bother him at the moment.

"Whoa there Jaune! We got you." Cardin said as he sat next to Jaune's somewhat slumped position against the gravel. Elizabeth saw that Jaune wasn't listening as she noticed his eyes were wider than they have ever been.

"Why is he here? Why is he here?!" Jaune exclaimed as he pointed to the tear. Elizabeth and Cardin's eyes widened as well as they saw the massive bird creature swoop once more across and around the crumbling tower.

"What the flying fuck is that thing?!" Cardin shouted in response to one of the massive squeals it emitted. Elizabeth tried to calm Jaune down as he began to hyperventilate.

"Jaune?! What's wrong?" Nora asked as she and Oobleck climbed out of the pit. Concern was written on both of their faces as they rushed to Jaune's side.

"WHAT'S SONGBIRD DOING HERE?!" Jaune screamed with pure panic as the bird came closer to the tear.

"Songbird?" Oobleck asked with confusion as Jaune continued to struggle while Cardin tried to calm him down.

"It's just a tear Jaune!" Elizabeth explained as she quickly got up.

"Close it! CLOSE IT!" Jaune screamed back as his hand once more sparked with raw lightning which he began to launch at the mechanical beast that only got closer and closer to the tear.

"Jaune?!" Nora exclaimed as she looked to her leader with bewilderment. "What is that?!" the bomber pointed to his arm. The knight ignored her plea as he continued to launch whatever bolts of lightning he had at Songbird.

"I'm trying Jaune! I'm trying!" Elizabeth screamed back as she was struggling to close the tear.

"Elizabeth?!" Cardin called out with uneasiness as they all saw the full monstrosity that was Songbird reach out to the tear.

"AAAAAAGGGH!" Jaune screamed as he relentlessly fired lighting from his hand. Right before Songbird could even try to reach through the tear, a fragmented noise echoed through the square. Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, Elizabeth jerked both her arms forward into each other in a closing motion which caused the tear to completely close. There was a silence for a few moments as Elizabeth faced everyone who was still there. Jaunes friends, the other teachers, Alexander and his men, and even a few more students who included the trio that Elizabeth didn't trust in the slightest who had the unusual color schemes for their hair such as silver and mint green. There was a sense of unbelievability among them all, and before any action could be done against her, the sudden sobs of Jaune infiltrated her ears.

She turned on her heel to see that Jaune's back was pressed against the rubble with unfathomable fear which radiated off of him. Nora and Cardin were both holding him and were trying to calm him down due to his hyperventilation. A few moments passed by before Jaune's breathing improved until he began to break down in front of them all. Elizabeth wanted to go to him; she needed to. But the misery that she saw in his eyes kept her from him, and she couldn't help that this was her fault.

"Bart!" Elizabeth heard the portly professor's voice call out as she turned to the doctor that helped save Jaune. She noticed that the other professor with the riding crop was there as well. "Are you alright?!" Elizabeth noticed that while Oobleck was winded, he had suffered only a few bruises and scratches.

"I'm quite fine, Peter," Oobleck replied to his friend as the two shared tired smiles. "Although you may have another story on your hands to tell your students." a loud chuckle escaped port as he rested his Blunderaxe in his arms.

"What happened?" Elizabeth heard Goodwitch say, and she noticed that tension between the three of them replaced the relieved emotions.

"We got him out." Elizabeth heard Oobleck say to Goodwitch and Port as the three were a few feet away from the hole. "There weren't any Grimm from what we saw. So, it's safe to go near it for now." Elizabeth saw the woman nod at Oobleck's comment as she walked towards the hole.

"Paramedics are on their way," she said as she waved her riding crop over the debris which once more, sealed the hole. "How is he?" she asked and a sigh escaped Oobleck's lips.

"All things considered, living by a few threads. It was not good down there." both professors looked to Jaune which in turn made Jaune Elizabeth's top interest. She saw that the tears were still streaming down his face as he clung to Nora for comfort. Elizabeth noticed that his other friends were coming her way while Alexander and his men stood back and not by choice. Ironwood and his mechanical troops were there to see to that. A breath escaped Elizabeth's lips as she turned back to Jaune who was surrounded by all of his friends from Remnant and Elizabeth couldn't help but feel that things were going to get much more complicated.

 **#**

"Unbelievable!" the shrill voice of the petite woman echoed all over as Maria Arc paced back in forth in front of Ozpin's desk. It had been five hours since Jaune's rescue and needless to say when she got the news that her son was in the Beacon infirmary for the second time in one week, she didn't take it too well. Ozpin waited patiently for her to continue while Goodwitch and Oobleck stood at Ozpin's side. What didn't help them, however, was that Ironwood and Alexander were both there as well.

"One week! ONE WEEK!" she exclaimed once more as she turned to Ozpin. "One week goes by, and my boy has gotten into a fight with an Atlas robot piloted by an infamous arms dealer, gets into fights at school, and is put into the hospital TWICE! And one of those times he escaped from there!" everyone in the room flinched at the small woman's monstrous voice and hated to admit that everything she had said was true.

"Maria," Ozpin started as he leaned a bit forward in his chair. "We know he is going to live. The doctors said that he was in stable condition and his aura was accelerating his healing." this compromise to the situation didn't help as her glare intensified on the headmaster.

"Oh, I saw him!" Maria shrieked back at the headmaster. She had a look to her that showed nothing but worry and fear for her boy. "I also saw the report after I visited him while he rested! Over sixty percent of his body in scar tissue?!" Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose as her voice grew more irritated.

"From what we know, most of the scars he had were from his time away from Vale. His friends gave eyewitness accounts for his medical report." Ozpin replied which made Alexander stifle a chuckle.

"How does one month away give you scars that look like they've been there for years?" Alexander questioned the headmaster, to which Ozpin gave the politician an unsatisfied stare.

"Not even a week and you let my son get into harm's way Ozpin," Maria growled out of nowhere as she pointed at him and before the headmaster could retort, Oobleck stepped forward.

"Maria, every choice Jaune made was his and his alone, everything he did was on his own volition with or without Beacon's approval." her glare focused on the doctor, and he couldn't help but take a step back at the rage he was all too familiar with.

"You stay out of this Barty!" Maria shouted as she pointed her finger at him. "And maybe if you told me what happened when you talked to him, we could have avoided all of this." Oobleck's eyes narrowed at his former partner's last statement, and he gained a second wind in their argument.

"You and I both know that is out of the question," Oobleck growled as he looked down at Maria. "I am a doctor for crying out loud. There is no way I would share that information with you just because you want me to." Oobleck looked to his headmaster for a few moments, and Ozpin could see the weary state the doctor was in due to the hectic nature of what had happened only a few hours prior. "And I'm sorry, but I have had it to here with your screaming Maria! We weren't responsible for the breach and why don't you stop pointing your finger at the people who saved your son and at the one who didn't want him saved in the first place!" Oobleck's eyes narrowed at Alexander "And nearly had another student killed in the process."

Maria looked back to her husband, and before she could get a word out, they all witnessed him glare at her. The anger in Oobleck and Goodwitch skyrocketed within each of them as they knew that glare all too well. There was no fight in Maria after she looked back from her husband and she then turned to Ozpin.

"I want my son pulled from Beacon. NOW." she declared, to which Ozpin shook his head with frustration.

"Out of the question. He is eighteen and cannot be forced out of our care at the moment unless he chooses to do so." Ozpin replied to which Maria let out another tantrum of anger.

"Or if someone tries to take him by force," Oobleck growled once more at Alexander who said nothing on the matter at hand. The politician turned to Ozpin with a glare of his own.

"The council will be considering your position at Beacon after the festival is over with Ozpin, and perhaps alter the rules a bit as well." Ozpin took no offense at Alexander's remark, and his only response was a slight chuckle as he didn't take Alexander's threat seriously. A growl escaped the politician's lips as he and his wife walked towards the elevator. There was a silent tension within everyone until the doors closed on the couple. To which the faculty let out a sigh of relief.

"Things are getting worse Ozpin," Ironwood said as he broke the silence.

"Indeed, they are James." Ozpin replied, "Indeed they are."

"I hate to pull you out of that topic, but there are more pressing matters to attend to," Ironwood said as he put his scroll on Ozpin's desk which caused a hologram to appear in front of them all. The hologram contained a video of what had happened early at the square.

"Whatever this thing is," Ironwood said as he pointed to the projection that was summoned before all of them, exclusively to the two points of interest that were the massive beast that had soared before their eyes, and the woman that had closed the window. "Have the massive potential to be threats. We need this contained and dealt with immediately."

"James," Goodwitch said with a tired frustration. "Is this the time? All of us had to deal with enough of what Alexander and even you had to say on the matter of retrieving Jaune," Ozpin and Oobleck noticed the slight detail of interest when she said the student in question's first name. "Your sense of military bravado has become suffocating, to say the least."

"I'm here to protect the people of this kingdom! Of all kingdoms, dammit!" Ironwood shouted as he took a step closer to Goodwitch. His voice was strained, and his right hand twitched slightly.

"And your protection was the main reason why one of my students had to prolong his stay in a tunnel full of Grimm," Oobleck said as he stepped forward and blocked Goodwitch from Ironwood's sight. "And before you try to reinforce your claim that you had to protect Vale, you not only fell submissive to the student's abusive father and allowed him to fire on the people he was supposed to represent, but there were no Grimm left when we went down there." Ironwood's eyes narrowed at Ooblecks quick but strained response as he took a few steps back from the general.

"I was going to put this in my report Ozpin," Oobleck said as he straightened his glasses. He looked to his colleague and boss who were interested, to say the least in what he had just said. "But as soon as I progressed into the tunnel once more, there were Grimm carcasses everywhere. I do not know if the students saw them or even cared when we were looking for Mr. Arc." Oobleck grabbed the general's scroll, and once he handed it back to Ironwood, the doctor placed his on the desk to which another video appeared before them.

"By the gods." Goodwitch mouthed as she sharply inhaled. The video that showed depicted Ooblecks little journey back into the tunnel and despite the small flames that burned alongside the edges of the destroyed train, the many bodies of numerous Grimm flooded at his feet. Beowolfs, Ursa, Creeps, and there was even a King Taijitu that Oobleck caught which laid lifelessly amongst the rubble. Their mouths were snapped back beyond their necks, some heads were completely gone, and parts of their bodies were either burned or still tingled with electricity.

"Alexander's boy did all that?" Ironwood asked with a bit of intrigue as he circled the hologram. Both Goodwitch and Oobleck knew where he was going due to what was shown.

"Yes, James," Ozpin said as he folded his arms. "He did your job." the faculty could feel the intensity of the verbal jab their boss just gave to his fellow headmaster.

"And mine in this case as well. Mountain Glenn was within my area of jurisdiction and having students run in there widely was a mistake on my part. Eradicating that cluster of Grimm should have been more of a priority for the Huntsmen and Huntresses that were loyal to Vale. Instead, we let a student, under my care, clean up our mess." Ozpin got up from his chair and made his way toward Ironwood. "So, don't get any ideas. He already has one politician breathing down his neck." the general said nothing as his eyes grew a little fearful. There was no calmness within Ozpin. That tranquility was dispersed since their discussion began and the general only instigated this mindset that the headmaster possessed.

"Very well," Ironwood said over a few moments of silence. "But that still doesn't answer my issue on the larger threat." Goodwitch rolled her eyes at this and Ozpin let out a sigh of frustration. Oobleck was the only one to remain emotionless. "Whatever that thing was, has the potential to show again and there is no telling what it will do."

"She," Oobleck said as he looked to the general. The two locked eyes and there was a tension between the doctor and general. "She. Not it." Oobleck then jabbed a finger into Ironwood's chest. "And if today were any indication, I would say you don't have a say in any matter that regards Beacon faculty." Ironwood raised an eyebrow at this and looked to Ozpin who shrugged and let out a slight chuckle.

"Our newest librarian has quite the semblance." the headmaster said as Ironwood's hands balled up into fists. "Besides, it seems she has quite the connection to Mr. Arc." Ozpin gestured to the generals scroll to show what the projection contained. "Detaining her would cause another outburst from the boy. Would you want that sort of situation on your hands?" The three Beacon members saw Ironwood realize what that meant as he looked back up to the countless Grimm and before he could say anything, Goodwitch stepped forward with a look of her own. The Beacon faculty wasn't going to take any more flak from anyone else due to what they all witnessed and went through. Ironwood realized this and only made his way to the elevator without another word. As the doors closed on him, the staff noticed they had never seen a man try so desperately to swallow his pride.

Relief flooded through all them as the doors shut all the way and Ozpin made his way back to his seat. The stress was still prevalent, but the causes were all gone for the moment.

"Things are going to get worse, aren't they?" Goodwitch asked no one in particular as she looked toward the elevator.

"They always do before they get better," Ozpin said as he set his glasses down so he could rub his eyes. "I hope the students share that outlook as the festival goes on."

"Or at least one student in particular," Oobleck said as looked down at his feet. Ozpin and Goodwitch looked on at their friend, and both could see the distraught within him.

"Unfortunately, Alexander hasn't changed his ways," Ozpin stated out loud.

"I can't believe he still treats her like that," Oobleck said with a bit more anger than intended. "After all of these years, nothing has changed." Goodwitch was about to say something before the headmaster put his hand up.

"Bartholomew," Ozpin said as he looked to his subordinate. "I suggest you take the rest of the day off. The report can wait." the doctor was about to object to this due to his frustrated demeanor. "You are just a person like everyone else," Ozpin said with a calm tone. "And just like everyone else, you need rest, especially after what you had to face."

A sigh escaped the doctor as his back slumped and he removed his hat that he had kept on since morning. A layer of dirt covered it and his coat, yet he didn't mind in the slightest. He looked to Ozpin and his co-worker and nodded to each of them.

"Very well," Oobleck told them and headed towards the elevator.

"Ozpin?" Goodwitch asked with sudden curiosity, which caused the doctor to stop in his tracks "Where is Ms. Comstock now if you don't mind me asking?" both Oobleck and Ozpin slightly smirked at her answer.

 **#**

Jaune Arc wished he never woke up. There were a few things that were worse than what he was going through now, but laying in his hospital bed only a few hours after they patched him up while his body ached all over was something that was rated among his most painful moments. Every minuscule movement he made had the potential to flare his body with aching pain. Groaning didn't help either, and it just made things worse for him. All he could do was try not to move or breathe too much, and that was becoming impossible.

He eyed the door, and he had to admit, he was surprised that he didn't see his mom storm the school yet. Jaune assumed she stopped by while he slept and he soon wondered if his dad even allowed her to see him. He guessed not as he considered everything that had happened. Still, he was confused with the lack of visitors. Did they think he was asleep? That privilege was an impossibility due to the pain, and he couldn't help but wonder what was happening with everyone else. What confused him more though than that, was that the voice was non-existent. He was sure that it would pop up any minute but to no avail.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked himself as he looked back to the ceiling and did his best not to move. He thought back to everything that had happened, and at the moment, he couldn't believe he survived. He would still be down there if it weren't for Nora, Oobleck, surprisingly Cardin, and of course, her.

That was a subject all on its own to divulge into. Jaune prayed that there would be no confrontation with her and he knew she would come to his room sooner or later. If he was, to be honest, he had no idea how he would act in front of her. He wanted to be angry, but he just couldn't. He was grateful she came for him, but that fact didn't stop him as he let out a groan of frustration. He wondered what he was supposed to think on the matter and it didn't help him in the slightest.

His train of thought was cut short as the door to his hospital room was slammed open. Jaune let out a little yelp as a pile of people flooded in while a sudden cacophony of various voices filled the room. Jaune rose his bed up with confusion until his eyes laid upon Ruby and Nora who were sprawled on the infirmary floor.

"Why did you do that Nora?!" Ruby yelled with playfulness as she struggled to get up and off of Nora.

"I'm sorry, I just got caught up in the excitement!" Nora cheerfully exclaimed as the two got up and brushed themselves off. Both laid eyes on Jaune's bandaged form and while Nora knew to restrain herself, Ruby had no clue as she launched herself at Jaune.

"OHMYGOSHJAUNEIMSOSORRYTHATIDIDNTCOMEBACKFORYOU!" Ruby screamed while she sobbed yet out of joy.

"Ruby," Jaune said flatly as didn't look down at her.

"IDIDNTKNOWYOUWERESTILLDOWNTHEREANDIFIDIDIWOULDHAVECOMEFORYOUIPROMISE!"

"Ruby," Jaune said again with the same demeanor as her grip got tighter.

"THATWHOLEMISSIONWASMYFAULTANDYOUBEINGDOWNTHEREWASALLONMEANDIHOPEYOUCANFORGIVEME! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!"

"RUBY!" her name was called by Weiss who stood there with the rest of their team along with a concerned team (J)NPR. "You're hurting him," she muttered with what seemed to be a hint of embarrassment. Ruby looked up to Jaune's bandaged face, and he looked as if he wanted to scream in agony, but he kept his face calm for the sake of his friend.

"OH!" Ruby said as she reeled back and off of Jaune's injured body. The blonde knight needed a few moments to stomach all the pain he had just dealt with silently, and after he put his hand down, he let out a breath of both discomfort and relief.

"It's okay Ruby. I'm still breathing." Jaune said as he looked at his fellow leader who had fat tears drop from her cheeks. He looked to the rest of his friends and noticed that Nora shared the same demeanor as Ruby. Blake was relieved, but superficially impassive at his wellbeing, Yang gave him a warm smile that usually a mother figure gave, and he couldn't help but feel her smile run its effect on him. Ren was more relieved than the rest of them, yet Jaune couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment from him and especially Pyrrha, who looked so conflicted to either hug him like Ruby or tear his head completely off and finish the job the Grimm started.

"We thought we lost you for a second there, Vomit Boy," Yang said with a cheeky grin as she put her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Still though, we're sorry for what you went through."

"It's okay guys," Jaune said with a fake cheerfulness in his voice.

"You sure?" Yang asked. "I mean we were in the tunnel when the train hit Vale, we saw how many Grimm there were." the brawler scratched the back of her head which resembled his awkward nature. Jaune chuckled at Yang's apology but winced as the laughter caused him pain.

"Argh!" Jaune yelled as he reached over his shoulder to massage his back. "Worse than the time with the Fireman. Jeez," he muttered to himself. He looked back to the rest of them and noticed that Blake picked up on what he had said, though she didn't pry on the matter. "It's okay Yang, you guys weren't the ones that flung me in." he smiled at the brawler, and she gave him a nod of understanding.

"What were you doing in Vale anyway?" Ren asked as his arms were folded. "Last we checked, you were supposed to be here. In this exact room actually." the stoic ninja said the last part to himself. Discomfort grew on Jaune as his teammate asked this and the blonde knight noticed that Nora, Ruby, and even Yang had irritated personas towards him and Pyrrha in those moments of silence.

"Give the man a break." A voice came from the open doorway, and Jaune's head perked up at the familiar tone that lacked any snarky attitude. "Sweet Oum he's not even out of the hospital yet." Cardin Winchester said as he entered with an uncomfortable look on his bandaged face. Jaune was struck with confusion as he looked on at his semi bandaged acquaintance who hadn't made eye contact with him yet. Jaune noticed that his confusion was shared with most of his team sans Nora and Ruby who looked almost grateful for his presence.

"Cardin?" Jaune asked with a somewhat dazed confusion as he lightly massaged his head. "What are you doing here?" the hulking huntsmen chuckled at the question and shook his head.

"Hey I didn't want to come, but Oobleck insisted when I ran into him on my way back to my room," Cardin replied and shrugged his shoulders. "See if the one I stuck my neck out for was still breathing." Jaune cocked an eyebrow with confusion at Cardin's statement, and Nora walked to Jaune's side.

"He's the one that opened the hole back up to get you," she whispered into his ear. Jaune's eyes widened at this, and he looked back to Cardin who leaned against the threshold of the door.

"What kind of huntsman would I be if I couldn't save even one life today," Cardin asked with sincerity that none of them had ever witnessed before. Jaune sat there frozen for a few moments as he remembered every vivid moment that took place when Cardin refused to help Jaune with the survivor that was dragged away by the Grimm.

There was shame within Cardin, Jaune could see that. Although, Jaune knew that today was the first time Cardin had to ever deal with a crisis of that magnitude. Jaune froze the first time after he killed that officer at the raffle so long ago. He was hypocritical in those moments when he faced Cardin with all that rage and hate, and Jaune saw that as he sat there in his hospital bed.

"Thanks, Cardin," Jaune said as he broke the silence. The Huntsman in training's face grew surprised at the sudden gesture of gratitude that Jaune had given him. "I mean that." a sharp chuckle was the first response that Cardin gave back.

"Just get better," He said as he turned his back to the bandaged blonde knight. "Gotta learn more moves when we train for next time. Those soldiers put a few dents in my armor." while Jaune didn't know the context of what he meant, he knew what he meant by training, and it warmed Jaune to know that Cardin declared that his residence at Beacon would continue.

"Will do," Jaune said with a determined nod. "Maybe have some competition in the Vytal tournament?" Cardin laughed wholeheartedly to everyone's surprise and nodded back.

"You better fucking believe it Jauney boy," Cardin said which caused the two to laugh for a few moments despite the shocked and confused looks on everyone in the room.

"I'll see you when I see you." Cardin finished as he walked out of the room and back into the hallway. Jaune shook his head as he finished his fit of laughter and looked back to his team and friends.

"What was that?" Blake asked for everyone who tried to wrap what had just happened around their minds.

"I've been helping Cardin with fighting for a few days now." Jaune casually replied which even caught Nora off guard. "Helps let out steam as well." Jaune put a thumb to his chin as he was in deep thought. "I realized that most of my friends are girls, not any guy friends besides Ren. And that can be debatable at the moment." Jaune whispered to himself, though Nora who was right next to him heard what he had said.

"That's…" Ruby started as Yang put her hands on her hips.

"Unexpected to say the least." the brawler finished as a look of realization appeared on her face. "So that's where you were doing those times you went off the radar this past week." Jaune simply nodded at this which caused Yang to smile. "Good on you man." she finished.

"Um, Jaune?" the blonde knight turned to Ruby who suddenly had a conflicted look.

"Ruby?" he asked with confusion as he looked at his friend whose face was contorted into one of a restrained demeanor as if she wanted to say something yet didn't want to at the same time.

"Was that you in Columbia?" she asked as she walked forward with her scroll out. Everyone including Jaune was caught off guard with the sudden question with no context.

Jaune soon learned what she meant as he was shown a video that she recorded. There was a silence among all of them as Jaune continued to look on at the video which showed a massive tear in the middle of the square. In those moments when the tear was active, he saw himself from what felt like a lifetime ago, who plummeted off the massive tower with Elizabeth in his arms and his sky hook at the ready. There were so many questions that flooded his mind in those moments, why did she open a tear in Remnant? Why was it at this moment? Was she still even in Remnant?

His hands clutched the scroll with a tight grip as he closed his eyes. He wanted to say no. He knew it would lead to more questions and tension within everyone, but it would be the same if he answered yes. He thought back to the times with Oobleck and even with Ozpin about his friends and the topic of change. Part of him begged not to answer them, but the other part knew that nothing would get better if he stayed like who he was.

"Yes," Jaune said softly as he handed her back his scroll. He put his hands in his lap and refused to look at anyone, especially Pyrrha who he could practically feel her eyes on him.

"That's where you learned to shoot lightning out of your hands too?" he looked up to Nora who had a genuine smile on her face. "The same lighting you gave when you saved me?" Jaune looked back down to his lap, with slight shame.

"Yes," he said with the same soft volume. There was a brief silence before Nora gently put her arms around him and embraced Jaune in a soft hug. His breath hitched as she made contact with him and she emitted a soft hum from her throat.

"Thank you," she whispered back and kissed his forehead. Tears began to form in his eyes, yet he quickly discarded them with his bandaged arm.

"That thing was the monster wasn't it?" Ren suddenly asked as he walked to Nora's side. Jaune looked to his teammate whose irritation was nonexistent. "You told me what you saw that night when Nora took the punch for you," Ren said with a relaxed tone that was trying to understand what Jaune had comprehended that day. "Was a monster. It was that thing we saw fly toward us wasn't it?" Jaune said nothing as he had to swallow his pride and his fear. He only nodded and soon let out a shudder which caused Nora to hold him slightly tighter.

"Songbird," he whispered to himself. Nora and Ren were the only ones to hear what he had said, and they exchanged a look as they saw his fear riddled form. Nora released Jaune from her hug and rubbed his shoulder for a second before she looked back at all of them. There was a shared sadness within their group of friends and finally a bit of understanding as they were answered one of their numerous questions. Nevertheless, it didn't stop them from feeling awful for what he went through.

"I think it's time to give you your space Ar-!" Weiss's voice cut short as she was about to finish. Jaune looked to the heiress who was not displeased by his existence but conflicted. "Jaune." she finished as she headed towards the door. "Please do take care." her voice sounded a bit strained as she said her goodbyes, but Jaune still didn't hesitate to nod with appreciation.

"She's right guys," Nora said as she got up from the bed and walked with Ren by her side. "We'll be back soon Jaune, I promise," Nora said as she and Ren left, though her partner gave the knight a curt nod.

"Get better Jaune. That's an order from your fellow leader." Ruby said with a comedic sternness which resembled Goodwitch's attitude. Jaune smiled at this as she, Yang, and Blake all left the room as well.

Jaune and Pyrrha were the only ones left in the room. He refused to look at her as he had no idea what she was going to say to him. Was she going to pry more? Were they going to fight? Was she going to cry? Hell, was he going to cry? The uncertainty built within his being and right before he could say anything, he felt her arms around him, and despite the pain, he felt her tightly pull him into her chest. Hot tears dripped onto his head, and he could feel her shoulders buckle every few seconds.

"I'm sorry," she said as she broke the hug apart. Her voice was raspy and tired, though Jaune closed his eyes and was able to grab her hands. She yelped slightly at this, though it didn't stop him from rubbing his thumbs along her palms.

"It's okay Pyrrha," he whispered back. The two said nothing more as she got up from the bed and slowly made her way to the door. Jaune gave her one last smile before she left and as soon as the door closed behind her, he let out a groan he didn't know he had held in. His back slouched into his mattress and it felt as if a marshmallow had enveloped him into its softness.

"Wow," he said as he felt a massive weight being lifted off of his person. There was exhaustion within him, but he couldn't help but feel right. Or at least, in the right direction. Everyone was there for him, and it felt as if he was welcomed back by his friends. He knew the coldness and distance they had given him in the past week, and although he had never admitted it out loud, he despised the lack of warmth that came from his friends. He missed them all so much, and even if he believed they didn't in turn, those looks they gave him showed otherwise.

He looked out of his window and up at the starry night that laid before him. The fractured moon that illuminated the darkness was a nice touch, and he couldn't help but smile and even chuckle to himself as he knew that things were looking for the better.

 **Knock Knock**!

Jaunes eyebrows rose at the sudden noise, and he didn't have the chance to say anything as the door opened.

"Nora?" Jaune asked with concern. Fear rose within him as there was no response. He knew his father was in the area and he couldn't help but grasp his sheets with the remaining strength he had.

The blonde knight pressed the remote for his bed to fold up, and he couldn't help but slightly widen his eyes at the woman that stood before him. Her attire certainly changed but there were things that he could never forget though he didn't realize earlier due to the chaos that occurred. Such details as her soft smile and the way she looked at him. Her pinky was a dead giveaway along with her ability to tear into reality itself, but what stood out the most was the way she stood. Her posture of confidence that ability to be able to hold her ground despite her emotional turmoil was nowhere to be seen in those moments when as he felt her eyes on him. She was deflated and defeated to some extent. There was an indescribable shame in her eyes as she refused to look into his and her smile was non-existent. Despite this, Jaune couldn't help but smirk slightly.

 **Play: "All That Matters" by Jeff Williams (Feat. Casey Williams)**

"Quite the sight I know," Jaune said as he gestured to his body that was covered head to toe in bandages. If it weren't for his hair, eyes, and mouth, he would resemble one of those mummy creatures Elizabeth had in one of her books. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and Jaune could feel his false confidence crumble under her gaze. "Things… haven't been so good for me Elizabeth." A short breath came from Elizabeth, and Jaune looked back at her.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered in a shaky voice. Those words stabbed into Jaune's heart as he tried to gulp down his pride. His hands balled up despite the pain, but he couldn't help but let out a humorous breath.

"You're not the first one to say that today," Jaune said as he looked away from her and back to the window. "Though I should say thanks." he could feel Elizabeth's eyes on him, and he closed his. "Not only did you buy Cardin time, but you showed everyone what Columbia was." Jaune's humorous attitude subsided as his smirked receded. "Though, don't you think Songbird was a bit much?"

"Tears come from any time and any place, I didn't have control over that one," Elizabeth said as she rubbed her arm. Jaune still didn't look at her.

"Clearly," Jaune grumbled. Elizabeth wanted to retort, she wanted to get mad at his coldness, but she had no right to be, and he did. She did leave him after all, and all she could do was be silent. "I'm still surprised that you're here." his smirk reappeared, and he laughed a bit more. "Though I am a bit ashamed to say I feel stupid for not noticing it was you. Given I was drunk the first time, but I mean look at you," he gestured to her while he couldn't help but smile at her dirtied and bruised body. "You certainly changed."

"You did too, Jaune," Elizabeth said as she got a bit closer to him.

"Not for the better." there was a moment of uncertainty within Elizabeth as he told her that detail.

"Nora and Cardin were the ones who told me the most about you ever since I got here," Elizabeth replied. "What they said along with the night at the bar was certainly a surprise. Was that a new skyhook you had that night as well?" she asked, and Jaune nodded.

"Ruby made it for me," Jaune looked down with slight shame. "Though it broke when I was down in the tunnel," Elizabeth said nothing more as she stood there at the foot of his bed for a few moments. "I saw a lot down there Elizabeth. I saw Comstock." he turned his gaze to her and he could feel the discomfort grow within the room. "I saw Fink, Fitzroy, the twins." he gritted his teeth as his hands wrapped around his sheets. "I saw Booker as well." Jaune saw Elizabeth reel back with shock, and he let out a forced laugh. "Needless to say, my head's fucked." Jaune wanted to cave in as he told her that detail. The confession of one's weakness nearly killed him, and he had no idea how he could still keep calm around Elizabeth.

"Jaune, I-" she started but noticed that he put his hands in his lap.

"He told me I wasn't a huntsman." Jaune interrupted. "Booker." He clarified, and the two were back to an understanding. "He told me I was a survivor and that to get out of where I was, I had to do what I did best." Jaune's breathing grew a bit more rapid in those moments, and he looked to Elizabeth with a cold glare. "I took down all of them. Comstock's men, Fitzroy's Vox, Columbia's abominations, and the monstrosities of Grimm." he shook his head slightly as his voice rose and Elizabeth took a step back.

"I SURVIVED IT ALL!" he roared as his hands ignited and what little remnants of his aura flared. A few moments of unadulterated fear and fury circled the room until Jaune let out one last breath through his teeth. "But…" he started as he looked at Elizabeth's face, only to see the shame rise within herself. "I don't know if I can survive just being in this room with you Elizabeth." his voice cracked as his hands reseeded back to their normal state. He looked to see that Elizabeth was still and her eyes were frozen on him. He could feel the regret from where he was, and he didn't want her to say anything. He didn't know if he could take it.

"I'm so tired." Jaune continued after a few moments. He let out a choked mixture of a laugh and a sob as he looked at his bandaged hands. "I-I don't know what to do. I want to be angry; I want to." Jaune looked back to her, and both of them had tears in their eyes. "I just don't know what to do anymore." Jaune slumped back into his bed and let out a few winces of pain.

Jaune noticed in the corner of his eye that Elizabeth had moved from her original spot. A gentle pressure left an impression on his left hand, and he looked up to see that Elizabeth had sat by his side. A pitiful smile was the only expression she gave him, and he couldn't tell if it was the feeling from her hand or her smile, but he couldn't help but rest his head on her shoulder. He winced a bit as she moved her body towards him and wrapped her arms around his body. It hurt, but he believed it was worth it.

"I missed you, Elizabeth." Jaune blubbered between his gasps, and his bandaged fingers gripped her dirtied blouse tightly.

"I missed you too, Jaune," she replied with a shaky voice. She ran her fingers through his head, and he felt the metal thimble scrape across his scalp. He didn't care as he clung to her even more.

He hated himself in those moments. He wanted to be angry, furious even. But he couldn't. He knew this road leads to nothing but pain, and he had no idea when, but he knew she would hurt him. Nevertheless, all he knew was her. He knew he was nowhere near fixed or back to normal, no matter how much he lied to himself, and while he felt he was headed in some right direction with his friends, he felt as if in those moments in her arms. Every issue involving his friends and parents dissipated into nothing and those broken pieces within himself were as close as they ever were before.

 **There we have it. The first arc is finished and left with a somber note. No cliffhangers, no ambiguous ending where we see a side of the villains and learn what their plans will be, none of that. All of you had to deal with being patient after that cliffhanger, so I decided to give what was wanted. Arc two will resolve some loose ends and characters that didn't get mentioned in this chapter as well. This was quite the chapter as it took me months to get down (been outlining this finale since November sweet Jesus what is wrong with me?) and despite the massive changes in my life, I'm glad to finally get this chapter out to you all.**

 **Something I wanted to mention and give you all a heads up for is that while I have played the Bioshock games multiple times and have a somewhat strong grasp on what happens in specifically Infinite and Burial at Sea, there is a high potential that I may miss something that goes along the lines of time and reality that I happened to overlook, If there are any details I missed or forgot to mention, I would be happy to understand. I've been doing research on what the fundamentals of what Elizabeth can do and I have also planned some examples from the game. Nevertheless, that is for the future and things are just going to get more mind fucky to say the least.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this. I had a damn good time writing this and I thank Firestorm808 for putting up with my impatience at times. They have been a life saver with going over the conveyance and important parts of the story. I also do recommend listening to the songs I implemented as well (By the way I don't own those either) I thought they fit pretty well. Alright that's enough of me blabbering on and on. Leave a question, comment, criticism, review, or PM if you want and as always beautiful people, BE COMPASSIONATE AND BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 AND FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!**


	13. Chapter 11

**Here it is everyone! Kicking off Arc 2 with a quaint little chapter. Enjoy. Also, I don't own any of the franchises. They belong to their respective owners.**

Chapter 11: Reunion

 **Undisclosed Location:**

The crimson sky was peppered with dark clouds that mirrored the hellscape with black pools. Moments past in the desolate wasteland until the pools began to ripple. Growling came from numerous pits and a massive claw erupted from the black abyss. Snarling and howls soon overcame the entirety of the wasteland was covered in Beowolves.

Only one figure stood there in the midst of the monstrosities. Her pitch-black garbs harshly contrasted with her hair and skin. Although small fissures along the edges of her eyes seeped into her pale figure that matched her crimson eyes. She looked on at her creatures of darkness with a neutral posture, but hints of unsatisfaction twitched within her eyes.

"My Queen." The figure's posture did not fluctuate at the sudden voice that shattered the serenity of her personal inferno. She only turned around to see one of her subordinates before her. As unhinged as he was, his lack of fear and overabundance of admiration was something to take notice of.

"Has Cinder come back with any word as to what happened?" the Queen went straight to the point of his presence.

"She has. As much as I hate to admit, she has brought back some fruitful information." the Queen could hear him lick his lips, to which she closed her eyes with remnants of frustration.

"Tyrian, I have no interest for your rivalry with Cinder, nor her opinions as well. Tell me, what did she find?" a snicker escaped Tyrian as his tail swayed with content enthusiasm.

"I can do better, I can show you." Tyrian's deranged voice cracked the moment he took a step toward her. Her unsatisfied gaze remained unwavering as she held her palm out. A pleased laugh escaped him once again as he placed a scroll in her hand with the excitement of a toddler, but with the grace of the most loyal of servants.

"This is the video she wanted me to see?" Salem asked as she pointed to the first one on her feed. Tyrian only nodded feverishly. With a bored and blank expression, the figure pressed play. The silence between the two of them only grew in volume until her eyes widened just a millimeter high. She paused the video and Lo.

"Who was responsible for this?" the figure asked as she tilted her head with slight intrigue at the image of the massive winged creature that soared within what looked like a tear in reality. Tyrian looked away from her in annoyance.

"Cinder is not sure as of yet." Tyrian grumbled. "Whatever that thing was, it blocked out who was responsible. The Half Maiden is looking into it as we speak." Tyrian's words casted a glare to be shot his way before he put his hands up in forgiveness. "However, the good doctor has confirmed that there are other events like this happening all over Remnant. Though not to the extreme you just saw."

"What extreme were they at, then?" she asked, becoming annoyed with his rambling.

"He claimed they were dormant. Certainly not like the one that occurred during the Breach." Tyrian crept forward. "Another small detail he wanted to tell you, was that they were all unique in their own way. All anomalies had similarities, but nothing was completely the same His words exactly."

Her red eyes continued to look on at the paused image of the beast that flew past the frame. Her lips curled into a smile and she pressed play on the video once more. Her thumb waited in anticipation to pause once more. Right before the video came to an end, she saw what she needed to see and paused the video at the right moment. The tear was gone and while he was far away from Cinder's camera, she could practically feel the anguish of the last frame within the video being centered solely on a boy with blonde hair. He was sprawled across the gravel and looked as if he was torn to shreds by her pets. What made her smile a bit more was his posture. He was terrified of what he saw before him, as if he was reliving a nightmare.

"Tell Cinder I want her to monitor that boy. I believe she mentioned him in a report not too long ago. No matter." she demanded as she shut the scroll. "Tell Watts to monitor what he can and pursue any opportunity to further any experiments on them. In the meantime, we stick to our intended plan to see Beacon crumble."

"Your wish is my command, my Queen." Tyrian sighed with euphoria before turning on his heel to carry out his goddess' orders.

"Hmm." Salem hummed as she looked on at her pets. All while having that boy's anguish in the video give her some remnant of satisfaction.

 **Beacon Academy:**

The training room within the massive walls of Beacon Academy echoed with the sharp impacts of a punching bag and the quick breaths of its attacker. His punches were fierce and unhinged as his wrapped hands pounded relentlessly from all angles of the bag. Sweat dripped from his blonde hair and down his chest. His white T-shirt was already soaked through. His arms felt as if they were made of lead, yet he kept punching furiously into the bag.

"False Shepard." He saw Fink's head be split down the middle.

The man sharply shook his head from the name that wedged itself into his mind. He brought his focus back to the bag and could feel the power generated from his hips and into his hands. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, letting his body move on its own.

"False Shepard." Daisy's Fitzroy's screams soon followed.

The man's closed eyes squeezed tighter while the bag trembled under the strength of his punches. His teeth clenched, and his breathing became quick but heavy.

"False Shepard"! The sight of Comstock's face soon morphed into his fathers.

"NRAAGH!" the man roared as he felt a gust of wind form within his right hand. With his last punch, the bag was ripped off its installed bolts and flew across the room. The man ceased all movement as he realized his intended target was no longer standing. His breathing was heavy, and he could barely feel his arms, but he would be lying if he said that last punch didn't feel a little euphoric.

"I guess that's another talk with Goodwitch."

Jaune Arc winced at the sudden voice that echoed through the training room. He turned to see his classmate, Cardin Winchester entering the room. He had burgundy gym shorts and a dark green T-shirt on with a small Beacon bag over his shoulder. The taller student gestured to the corner of the room, and Jaune couldn't help but wince at the pile of broken or utterly destroyed punching bags. "

Oum knows I don't need another one," Jaune said as he scratched the back of his head. He noticed Cardin setting his bag down along the wall.

"Seriously, the school could start making a betting pool between you and Yang to see how many bags you guys can demolish."

Jaune looked down in shame at his handy work. "Not much to do during the break. With the tournament is coming up, it seems to be the best option." Jaune replied.

"I get that," Cardin said.

"I'm surprised your still not passed out from last night," Jaune smirked at the immediate comment, to which a glare came from his classmate.

"I'm not surprised you forgot that we agreed to never speak of it again," Cardin growled.

Jaune chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever you say." Jaune laughed as Cardin was not satisfied with his answer. "You've talked with your team?"

"Don't think I ever will," Cardin replied as he walked over to a punching bag that was still standing. "Given that they're all morons at the moment, I'd rather just let them scramble and then pick up the pieces afterword."

Jaune raised a brow at Cardin's solution but decided not to dwell on it no matter how absurd it sounded. "They still won't let you back? Didn't Ozpin announce you and your team would be participating in the tournament?" Jaune asked, to which the huntsman in training narrowed his eyes at the bag in front of him.

"The stunt I pulled back at the square didn't give me the best image, school, and city alike," Cardin mentioned as he did basic one-two jabs at the bag. "Also, the teams a joke. I guess Ozpin wants some humor during the preliminary rounds." Cardin continued his repetitious combo. "Team doesn't want to be affiliated with someone to bring down their rep." Jaune scoffed at the reasoning.

"They do realize who they are, right?" Jaune said as he got behind the bag and held it firm. Cardin grinned at the help.

"Beats me. Goodwitch is trying to work something out, but it isn't looking good."

"What's going to happen if you can't work it out?"

"I'll still be a student but more in a support role. Upperclassmen usually have that position if one of their teammates bite it in the field. It isn't as uncommon as you think." Cardin replied as he soon laid down a combination of punches. Jaune braced accordingly and gave enough resistance towards his classmate.

"RRRAAAGH!" Cardin finished with a forward kick, to which Jaune wheezed out a breath due to the sudden impact. Cardin chuckled at his spotter's predicament and rolled his shoulders.

"You survived a tunnel full of Grimm. I think you can take one kick." Cardin followed up.

"You used your aura at the last second, didn't you?" Jaune asked as he clutched his side.

"Hey, you got us both in lockdown. Can you blame me?" Cardin spat back with a bit of snark. "That and you're the one who taught me to use it more sparingly, so you set yourself up for that."

"Can't argue with either of those reasons," Jaune said as he took a breath and held the bag steady once more. "You've improved." Cardin landed a left hook at the upper half of the bag.

"Mace is still in the shop, so that's an incentive to do more of this." Jaune let out a few grunts as he felt the impact of Cardin's raw strength. After a few minutes of various combinations, Cardin finally ceased his barrage of punches and kicks.

"Speaking of teams," Cardin started, causing Jaune to tense up. "Have they contacted you since they went away?" Jaune looked away for a moment before bracing the bag once more.

"Nora called me the minute they landed in Argus," Jaune said as he patted the bag, inviting Cardin to go another round. "Despite the Fall chill, she and Ren like it. Pyrrha's family was welcoming enough." Jaune looked away for a split moment before his attention was brought back with a solid roundhouse kick courtesy of Cardin.

"Not towards you, I bet," Cardin grunted through a punch.

"You don't see me there, do you?" Jaune asked, to which Cardin nodded. "Pyrrha's dad is pissed off because of her reluctance towards Louis. You think having a political rival's son and what he believes as competition being around him would be possible?"

"Damn rich people." Cardin sneered in a comedic fashion, to which Jaune chuckled. With one final kick to the center, Cardin ceased his attacks. "Besides, you aren't competition, given that you're already taken," Cardin smirked at Jaune's discomfort, but his smile morphed into a frown at the blonde's silence. "You have talked to her, right?" Silence was his only response before Cardin shook his head with frustration. "Jaune, from one idiot to another, that's pretty stupid to not even talk to her."

"I don't know what to say," Jaune said as he released his hold on the bag. "I also don't want to bother her while she's working."

"Bullshit," Cardin said with folded arms. "You and I both know we are practically the only students at Beacon. Everyone except a handful of students is home. You think she's overwhelmed working at a student library?"

"That doesn't solve my first dilemma though." Jaune retorted.

"How about, 'Hi, how are you? I'm sorry I haven't talked to since I almost got killed on more than one occasion during the Breach.' I'm sure you'll figure something out." Cardin mentioned as he moved to the center of the room. Jaune remained still at Cardin's comment.

"Let me guess. She's talked to you?" Jaune asked.

"I don't spend all day in the training room," Cardin said as he began to practice some techniques, Jaune had taught him during the first week of his return. "The library has a decent movie selection. She keeps asking me how you're doing." Jaune narrowed his eyes.

"What did you say?"

"If you want to know, ask her." Cardin gave his companion a knowing look before resuming his training. Jaune shook his head and walked out of the training room hearing the sharp grunts and roars from Cardin fade away.

The shower that soon followed after his conversation with Cardin was planned to be brief, but Jaune couldn't help but just stand there. The words of his temporary teammate rang within his mind. It had been two weeks since the break began and three weeks since he left the student infirmary. Three weeks since he talked to her. Three weeks since he had seen her.

A sigh seeped through his mouth while the water that trickled down his lips spewed onto the wall before him. He hated the predicament he was in for the past three weeks. He wanted nothing to do with her. He wanted Elizabeth to get the picture and take off to God knows what place in time and space. However, there was a part of him, no matter how minuscule, that wanted her arms to wrap around his torso in those moments under the showerhead. He wanted her to be with him now. Just like the mornings, she would surprise him in their little Parisian apartment.

"Dammit," Jaune whispered as he cranked the coldness up and decreased the heat. The sudden shock of the cold water that ran over him was incentive to end his shower, and without a moment of hesitation, Jaune turned off the shower and dried off.

There was no second wasted as he put on a fresh grey shirt with sleeves a little longer than his arms and his signature jeans. His hair was still damp, but he decided not to dwell on it if it was to dry out over time. He snatched his duffle bag with his dirty clothes and made his way back to his room.

The emptiness of the halls was a little jarring to Jaune. Despite being one of the few that still resided on the campus during the break, the silence never ceased to phase him to some degree. The padded scruffs of his tattered shoes were the only noise to accompany him. No idle chatter. No screams of joy or bursts of laughter from other classmates. It was just him and his footsteps. Goosebumps formed on the back of his neck as he couldn't tell if it was something he reveled in or reviled.

His footsteps soon synchronized with the sudden vibrations that spread from his upper right thigh. His eyebrows rose at the sudden soft shocks which obliged him to reach for his scroll. His eyebrows lowered and he couldn't help but force a smile upon his face at the sight of his mother's name on his scroll. He answered the call like clockwork and continued on his way.

"Hey, Mom," Jaune said, a little shocked at how his voice echoed through the halls.

"Jaune." There was a cheer in Maria Arc's voice that broke through the speaker. His voiced smile turned genuine in those moments. "How are you?"

"I'm doing alright, I guess," he replied while glancing at the empty doors that plagued the halls. "How about you? How's the family doing?"

"Everyone's good!" Maria replied a bit too chipper for Jaune's taste. "Saphron called earlier today and said that your team was in Argus." Jaune's eyes widened at the news and forgot that they would all be occupying Argus.

"How is she? She wasn't able to say much when she was here with the rest of the family," he recalled when they all came to see him the morning following his return.

"Better. She wanted to see you when you were in the hospital, but Adrian had the flu…" Jaune nodded his head with understanding.

"It's fine, Mom," Jaune replied. "Tell her I said hi."

"You can tell her yourself," Maria replied. "I gave her your new scroll number." Jaune wanted to groan, but he managed to resist the temptation. "So Jaune…" he closed his eyes, knowing what was coming. "How are you feeling?"

"Mom, you called me yesterday," Jaune said while playfully rolling his eyes. "You know how I am."

"And you know our agreement. So, how are you feeling?" the blonde nodded and took a breath in.

"I'm alright. Just got done with training. Let off some steam." There was a silence before Jaune shook his head. "No need to worry. Cardin was watching me."

"That doesn't make me feel any different."

"You do realize without him, I would've been Grimm chow, right?" a frustrated sigh escaped his mother and through his speaker.

"You boys and your crazy antics."

"We were fine. Honest, Arc's word." Another silence which worried Jaune. "Mom?"

"An Arc's word is starting to mean less and less these days, Jaune." the blonde knight winced at this and the urge to run away from his current conversation escalated.

"Look, Mom," he squeezed his eyes shut as he knew what was coming would hurt. "I have a meeting with Oobleck coming up," liar. "It'll be a bit," liar again. "And I'm probably going to be booked with training and studies for the rest of the day." worst liar in Remnant. "I'm going to have to let you go." the third silence that plagued their conversation nearly shattered his heart.

"Okay." Maria softly said. "Tell Bart I say hi." Jaune nodded with a sad smile.

"Will do, Mom," Jaune replied.

"I love you, Jaune."

"I love you too," Jaune replied before hanging up. He gritted his teeth and quickly pocketed his scroll before quickening his pace to his dorm room. He clamped his mind shut, scared whatever voice plagued his mind a few weeks back would come back in full swing in response to that conversation. The silence within his mind gave him no relief, only paranoia.

Jaune reached his door and swung the door wide open before tossing his bag in his closet. His back was pressed up against the shut door, and with a sigh, he tapped the back of his head against the door. The voice of his mother bounced around his eardrums and wiggled its way to the top of his noggin, tingling his hair follicles. The hurt in her voice trickled down his back and slid down his arms, causing his hands to ball up into fists.

"Goddammit," Jaune grumbled as he stormed over to his bed, ignoring the beer cans he had scattered by the foot of his bed. He made a mental note to clean up his room after he took a nap. If he was, to be honest, he believed a beer or any alcohol would be appropriate after his conversations with Cardin and his mom. Jaune considered the pros and cons of his desires and decided he was too tired to make a rational choice.

His drift into slumber was cut off quickly as he heard a sudden knocking at his door. A raised eyebrow emerged from the pillow he buried his face into and with a soft growl, he got off his bed and stormed over to the door, making sure the safety chain he installed earlier that week was locked in place before he opened it.

"Yes?" Jaune asked a little tired but tried to put as much sincerity as he could into his greeting. His eyes grew a bit wider as he saw not just the leader, but the entire team of CFVY outside his door.

"Hey. Jaune, right?" Coco Adele asked with a bit of uncertainty while pointing at him with little humor she possessed.

"Yeah." Jaune said while unshackling the door, "Just a moment." He mumbled before exiting the room, aware of the possibility they saw his empty beer cans. "How are you all doing?" he asked with his hands on his hips.

"Holding up pretty well. Loving the silence." Coco replied with a sly smirk. "Not to mention having the whole team present on break leave many ripe possibilities open." Jaune looked to the rest of her team for validation, only to notice that Yatsuhashi and Fox were borderline exhausted. He chuckled for a moment, though a pang of jealousy festered within him, wanting to be where his team was.

"Maybe we should just get to the point?" Velvet asked. Jaune saw the caution apparent within her persona and let out a small breath.

"Is something up? Need any help with anything?"

"We do," Yatsuhashi spoke up. "We've been tasked by the staff to be more inclusive with the remaining students occupying Beacon." Jaune rose an eyebrow and folded his arms.

"Given the handful of students here don't have anywhere else to stay are first years, Ozpin wanted us to look after them." Fox finished.

"Guys," Jaune said as he let out a slight chuckle and shook his head. "I appreciate the gesture, but I think I'll be alright. I got to still catch up on some studying. Port and Oobleck are on the warpath when it comes to me catching up in their classes."

"Well then," Coco said as she tilted her sunglasses down, "This is the perfect time to let your hair down." Jaune shrank a bit at his fellow leader's unwavering demeanor. "We've seen you around for the past few weeks. All you've done is train or coop yourself up in your room. It's time to have some fun!" Jaune was about to protest once more but felt Coco entwined her arm around his left bicep before they all began to briskly walk down the dormitory halls.

"Wait! I didn't agree-!"

"It's best; you just go with it," Fox muttered as he let out a yawn. "She always gets what she sets out for." Jaune wanted to growl at this and was about ready to rip his arm out of Coco's grasp.

"Would you like us to tell your team of your oh so healthy habits?" Coco chided, which made the blonde go rigid. His stiff posture was all she needed for validation. "Thought so~." she finished before Jaune let out a groan of defeat.

"All we ask is you relax for a few hours." Velvet mentioned as she walked by his side. "Also please just let us do this, we feel guilty enough as is." Jaune cocked his head at the Faunus' sudden bit of information. Her comment made the rest of her team fall quiet as well.

"Guilty?" Jaune asked, a little apprehensive as to what they were going on about.

"What Velvet is trying to say," Yatsuhashi spoke up. "Is that we were there at the Breach and despite our presence along with the Beacon staff, we failed to help you when you needed it." Jaune looked back to the hulking student with a bit of confusion. "Consider this an apology as well."

"Guys, it's fine," Jaune mentioned as he tried to stop, but was prohibited by Coco and continued to walk forward. "You weren't the Grimm attacking me down there in the tunnels."

"But we didn't do anything to help." Velvet countered.

"As much as I hate the bastard, Winchester was right about one thing." Coco spat, causing Jaune to wince at the insult. "We killed a lot of Grimm but didn't save anyone. Not directly at least." Jaune continued to look on at the fashionista's harsh glare. "So, we thought this would be a good idea." there was a brief silence before Jaune nodded his head in understanding.

"Alright," Jaune said with an empathetic smile. "What's the plan?" this earned a smile from the whole team, and Coco rustled his damp hair.

"Well, we know you aren't allowed off campus," Velvet started as she put her left thumb to her chin. "But we do have a good movie selection at the library." Jaune wanted to freeze at the scenario but managed to keep face. "We reserved one of the study rooms like we always do on Friday nights, but we fill it with nice chairs and snacks."

"The staff trusts we clean up after ourselves. So, they don't mind." Fox reinforced with a smile, to which Jaune grinned back."

"And since you are our guest of honor," Coco added with a nudge. "You get to pick out the movie for tonight. Just a heads up, Fox tends to cry when we watch any romance movies." A grumble escaped the slim huntsman in training, to which all of them laughed at his dismay.

"I'll keep that in mind," Jaune said as unlinked arms with Coco at the sight of the library entrance. A shaky breath escaped through his nose and resisted the urge to turn on his heel and sprint the other way. He continued with his new acquaintances.

The five of them wandered the main hall of the large establishment. Before Jaune became overwhelmed by the number of books, just like during the first day he strolled in a few months ago, Coco and Fox guided him to the intended study room they mentioned minutes prior and with the click of the door handle. Jaune's eyebrows rose at the number of chairs and snacks he saw scattered about. The television wasn't huge but was decent for their situation. He made sure to remember everything he saw, in case he wanted to host such an event with his team when they came back.

"Pretty swanky, huh?" Coco asked as she brushed past him and landed in her brown bean bag chair with what grace she could muster. "Your seat is up front. Hope you don't mind just using pillows; we had to improvise." Jaune let out a short burst of laughter as he recalled all the nights on cobblestone steps and alleys of Columbia.

"I'll manage," Jaune reassured with a smile. The rest of the team followed them into the quaint room, and they all plopped into their respective seats.

"The movie section is on the second floor, Jaune," Coco said as she opened up a bottle of water. "Take your time. First impressions are everything." Confusion settled within Jaune for a few moments.

"You sure I won't just ditch you guys?" he remarked with intrigue to which Coco shrugged her shoulders.

"I trust your sense of judgment," Coco said before flashing him her scroll with Pyrrha's contact number up front and center for him to see.

"Fair enough," Jaune said as he exited the room, leaving a giggling Coco with her fatigued team.

Jaune shared Team CFVY's sentiments and headed on up to the second floor of the massive building. It felt a little surreal for the blonde knight when he noticed that the silence never left them. Despite being a quiet place, the volume the library possessed matched the rest of the school. It was daunting, but the blonde decided to focus on a movie would be the best decision.

"Let's see…" Jaune muttered to himself as he entered the movie aisle of the second floor. Each genre was separated in equally divided sections with all their spines facing outward. "That's a no on the documentaries." he rubbed his chin. "Action seems a little too easy. Suspense perhaps?" he recalled a thriller his mother adored. "Let's see if they have it…" Jaune scanned the thriller and suspense section, and he smirked at the black border labeled with the two short words he was looking for.

"There we are." He said as he pulled the movie box out of its spot. "Well Mr. Peel, let's hope comedy isn't your only specialty." He chuckled a bit while tossing the case in his hands for a short moment. Jaune's demeanor escalated with anticipation due to how much his mother enjoyed it. He heard the movie was excellent from others as well, but he just hoped Velvet wouldn't mind some of the racial commentaries.

Whatever thoughts to follow were cut short as he accidentally bumped into something while turning the corner.

"AGH!" Jaune yelped at the sudden outburst of whoever was on the other side of the stack of books they were carrying. His eyes widened as he realized the stack was moments away from teetering towards his way. He was already crushed by his studies figuratively. He didn't need it in the literal form as well.

"I got you!" Jaune shouted while dropping his movie and stabilizing the stack from his side. "Sweet Oum! You carry this much every trip?" he asked the mystery person behind the stacks as the two set the stack down on the ground.

"I'm used to the workload." Jaune froze in place as he looked up to see none other than Elizabeth Comstock taking in a few breaths from lifting such a heavy load of books. "Thanks," she looked up and mirrored his shocked posture. Her attire matched the one he saw three weeks ago, but much cleaner than before. The white blouse and navy skirt were pristine and neatly pressed against her figure, and he could never forget the thimble around her pinky.

"Hey…" Any other words Jaune wanted to say died in his throat as he continued to look on at her. She was nervous, but her gaze never left him while he did his best not to stare too much.

"Hey yourself…" Elizabeth replied as she tucked any strands of hair were behind her right ear. Jaune licked the edges of the bottom lip in an attempt to come up with anything to say. "I didn't know you would be here during the break. Is your team with you?" Jaune blinked at the sudden question and let out a deep breath he had no idea he was holding.

"No, they went to Mistral to meet Pyrrha's parents," Jaune replied as he scratched the back of his head. He noticed she had a soft smile on her face when he continued to scratch the itch that wouldn't go away. "Given that things with my family aren't ideal, Ozpin let me stay here." she folded her arms and continued to smile.

"I assume there's a catch to you staying here?" Jaune couldn't help but not before having a sharp laugh escape him.

"Yeah. I'm basically in lockdown," he replied. "Can't leave without specific staff watching over me." the two stood there for a brief moment, taking in what he just said. Without a moment's notice, Elizabeth slowly broke her stoic façade and began to laugh at his words.

"Why am I not surprised?" she said as she soon calmed down enough to speak.

"Hey, at least I'm not the only one. Cardin's getting the full wrath of the lockdown as well."

"Oh, I'm well aware, Jaune," Elizabeth said. Jaune folded his arms and cocked his head in confusion. "I think if the door was open, all of Beacon could hear you two last night." Jaune paled at the sudden revelation and Elizabeth smirked. "My room at the moment is along the same hallway as yours. It was hard not to listen."

"Just don't tell Cardin." Jaune joked. "He's sensitive on that subject." Elizabeth's lips formed upward into a smirk, and she tilted her head a bit to the side.

"You sure he's the only one?" Jaune paled a bit at her question before her laughter returned. "I'm only kidding." Jaune blinked, and for a moment, he couldn't tell whether it was her joke or the sight of her laughing, but he couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"Aahhh." Elizabeth let out a happy sigh after her small fit of laughter. Jaune cupped the back of his neck with his left hand and shifted his weight to the left side, all while staring at her.

"So…" Jaune said, not sure where he was going with the conversation. "How have things been?" His attempts to save him from any awkwardness proved fruitless as Elizabeth was also trapped along within their awkward little bubble.

"I've been good," Elizabeth replied with some cheer within her voice. "The work here has been keeping me busy."

"I wouldn't think a school library would have a lot of work to do when the students are on break," he commented.

"Well, there's enough work with the few students that do check out books here." Elizabeth rolled her eyes to the side, "But I just maintain inventory. I'm still getting the hang of the electronics here." Jaune let out a breath of laughter soon after her comment.

"If it were anything like when you used my Scroll for the first time, I'd hate to see how you would operate with one of the computers."

"It certainly is something else." Elizabeth replied, "But I'm starting to get the hang of some devices. It has been a bit since we last talked." any upbeat attitudes were thrown out the window once she said those words. Jaune's gaze turned downcast, and he broke eye contact from her.

"Yeah…" Jaune replied. His hand reached back to his head once more on instinct. A few more head-scratching moments of silence passed between the two of them before Elizabeth recollected herself.

"How have you been?" Elizabeth suddenly asked. Jaune looked up to see that she wasn't sure how to go around her question. "I mean it has been a few weeks. And the last time I saw you, well… you weren't in the best shape." Elizabeth's justifications tensed Jaune's shoulders. He recalled their last conversation which ended with him falling asleep in her arms. When he woke up, she was nowhere to be seen, but word of the new librarian solidified his second guesses in regards to if she was really in Remnant or not.

"I've been doing pretty well. Just focusing on studies and training." Jaune said with an irking tone. "Our time up there left me with a month's work to catch up on." Elizabeth winced at his words.

"That doesn't sound too pleasant," she said.

"I'll manage. I usually pull through anyway." Jaune replied. Elizabeth nodded in turn. "Doctors all said I was good to go, I have a few more scars added to the collection, but with my aura, any internal injuries were healed within the first week and a half."

"You were pretty banged up when we found you."

Jaune winced at the sudden memories that came after Elizabeth's visit. "Do not get me started on how my mom reacted when she saw me awake and covered in bandages," Jaune mentioned with a shiver. "We had a huge "talk" as she likes to call them."

"That bad?"

"She threw the guest chair out the window in one of her fits of rage, hoping she would scare me into coming home. That just pissed me off even more."

"I take it you get your anger from her?"

"Oh yeah."

She giggled at his dismay, and he couldn't help but curve the corner of his mouth into a smile. He looked down at the stack of the books Elizabeth was carrying and then to the movie in his hand.

"Oh crap!" Jaune exclaimed. "Team CFVY is waiting on me to get the movie!" he panicked for a few moments before looking up at Elizabeth. "You need help getting that anywhere?" she shook her head with a smile.

"I can handle it. I'm sorry if I kept you away from them."

"It's fine, Elizabeth," Jaune replied as he walked past her.

"Hey…" Jaune halted in his steps as he turned back to her. "Don't be a stranger. I may have some work to do when it comes to inventory, but I wouldn't mind having someone to talk to as well." Jaune wanted to decline with desperation politely he never knew he possessed, but he felt his mouth open unconsciously.

"Sure," he quickly replied. Before Jaune could protest to what he just said, Elizabeth gave him a nervous smile and quickly made her way down to wherever she needed to drop her books off at; leaving the blonde knight in a stupor he couldn't understand.

"She had to have used the Possession Vigor on me," Jaune said to himself with frustration erupting out of his throat. "Wait, I don't think she's taken any Vigors…or did she? Dammit!" he cursed himself at what he said only a few moments prior while descending the staircase and making his way to CFVY's movie room. "Look, just focus on the movie. CFVY went out of their way to invite you, just focus on the movie." he finished as he opened the door, much to CFVY's celebration.

He couldn't focus on the movie.

 **And there we go. A little chapter to get things rolling. I enjoyed writing this one due to the interactions with the characters. Building some potential avenues for the story is always entertaining. Thank you guys for being patient with me. I'm in my final semester at college and to say it was hectic is an understatement.**

 **Nevertheless, I'm going to keep on with my stories. Also, I recommend reading noble4259's Arcs Across Dimensions if you haven't already checked it out. I'm helping him out, and it includes a couple of our characters from various stories. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this quaint little chapter. Drop a comment, review, or PM and as always, BE FIERCE!**

 **SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 AND FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!**


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